


New Roads

by DarkJediQueen



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: AU, First Time, M/M, Misplaced Anger, Permanent Injury, Seasons 5-10, Second Chances, Stubborn Men, Terrorism, Threats of Death Against Children, Violence against Children, canon character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-08-12 19:25:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 41,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7946245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkJediQueen/pseuds/DarkJediQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their roads split along time ago. Now Spencer Reid and Aaron Hotchner have a chance to be heading in the same direction again. Will they take it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 2009 Part 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Dr Cane](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10527522) by [blythechild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blythechild/pseuds/blythechild). 



> **Notes** : Goes AU during Nameless, Faceless. 
> 
> **Spoilers** : Up Through Season 11
> 
>  **Warnings** : Graphic Depictions of Violence, Violence Against Children, Canon Character Death, Terrorism, Threats of Death Against Children, Major Character Death, 
> 
> **Beta** : rivermoon1970

Feeling like an outsider was normal for Spencer Reid. He was used to it. He just hadn't thought that those he called family, the family he'd made for himself, would make him feel like that. Most of the mourner's eyes didn't leave the casket or the preacher, but two sets did. JJ and Will looked up at him. There was sadness in those eyes but more than just sadness for the death of the woman Hotch was once married to. There was a sadness for him as well. 

JJ nodded at him and Will gave a small wave, totally unnoticed by everyone around him. Until Christmas, this was the last he'd see of them. He was going home. He needed to heal both body, heart, and even on some level, soul. DC had too many memories. Now that he was able to move around on his own and didn't need help, he was cleared to leave. The FBI was paying for all of his medical bills now and in the future, as it was an injury that he sustained on the job. John had seen to that, even without Strauss making a case for him. He'd been left alone to cover a target and while the circumstances were something that would never be repeated, the FBI wanted to cover their asses, so bending to taking care of him was a small thing they could do.

Spencer should have been there walking beside the casket. On his crutches still, but there even though he would have been a pallbearer if not for his leg. He could just make out Jack, beside his father. The little boy who he could have seen himself loving as a son one day. His heart ached for father and son, but they weren't his to worry about anymore. Truly, Jack had never been his to worry about. Just hopes and dreams that came from reading too far into the discussion he and Hotch had, following Spencer's brush with anthrax. What he had thought Hotch was talking about was a try at forever for the both of them. A try to build a family between the three of them. Hotch's meaning of caring for him had to be very different from his own. Because he'd come out of surgery with only Will with him and never a word from Hotch or anyone on the team. Will had sketchy details on Hotch that first day and little after. He'd been forgotten, on accident or on purpose, he would never know.

By the time that Spencer had been told that he'd never walk without a cane again and his field agent days were done, there had been nothing from the team. In the dead of night, Spencer had made his decision. He'd told the staff of the hospital that only Will and JJ were allowed to see him and then asked for pen and paper. 

The letter of resignation was short. He cited his now damaged leg as the reason. Nothing more was needed. He'd called Strauss first thing and given his verbal resignation, letting her know that his letter was going to be on its way as soon as he could get a courier. It hadn't taken him long to set up a job in Las Vegas. Or to start the transfer of everything to Vegas. He paid off the lease on his apartment and secured a nice hotel room for the rest of his stay in DC. The day he had got out, Spencer had been set.

No one on the team noticed a single thing wrong. He had no calls or messages until the day Hotch had come back to work and he hadn't. By then his resignation and all his paperwork was buried on Hotch's desk. Strauss had been upset to let him go, but she had fast tracked it all, understanding why he was doing it. She felt for him and wanted to call the team on their behaviour, but Spencer had talked her out of it. Because he didn't want their sympathies from being told that something was wrong when he should have had them from the start. Spencer had ignored and continued to ignore all calls from anyone that wasn't JJ and Will. 

Spencer had never needed to be heartless before. He never thought he would have to be, but he was finding that it was easy. It was almost too easy. It sucked for Hotch with Foyet attacking him, threatening Jack and Haley, then the death of Haley. But not once did any eyes but JJ's and Will's turn to him. He'd been pushed into the back of an ambulance and forgot about. He hadn't regretted his decision to cut everyone but JJ and Will, and by extension Henry, out of his life. He didn't want anyone who didn't seem to care that much about him in his life. He'd lived that enough in childhood. The people who knew that his father had left, but didn't seem to worry about him and his mother, even knowing what his mother's issues were. 

Hotch was standing at the graveside with Jack in his arms. He wasn't sure what everyone else was seeing but Spencer was seeing nothing but anger in every single line of his body. Spencer wondered if that was directed at him. If Hotch was placing the blame of Haley's death at Spencer's own hands, he wouldn't be shocked. He couldn't be a whipping boy for him though. He wasn't going to stay and be that for him or a vessel of the team's own guilt at leaving him alone. 

Shifting on his crutches, Spencer turned to look back at the cab that was waiting for him. He looked back at the group and turned to walk away. He'd been standing for a little too long and stuttered a little on his crutches. When he was settled, he started forward again. Looking at the cab, he walked towards his new future. He was looking forward to it like he'd never looked forward to anything in his life.


	2. 2009 Part 2

Aaron had long lost any sense of time standing at Haley's graveside with Jack in his arms. The boy was more than content to just be there in his father's arms. He wasn't sure if it was the boy wanting the comfort that being held was giving him, or wanting to comfort his father by staying in his arms. Aaron's thoughts were not ones that he should be having. He knew that, but he couldn't stop them. He truly couldn't stop them. He wanted to but the thought that Haley could have lived. They could have gotten to her quicker if they had been at full strength. Instead, Reid had run away the first time he got truly injured. Aaron had laid in his hospital bed, waiting for him to come to him. His mind holding onto the younger man as the world around him collapsed. He'd never shown. Prentiss had assured him that it was a flesh wound after he'd woken up and the team had all been there except for him. That he was in McLean being seen by a doctor. That he'd be fine and right as rain in no time at all. 

Then Aaron's days in the hospital passed and nothing. Strauss had banned him from work, so he hadn't been able to see the report on the case, which would have been a summary of injuries. He had known that a call to Reid would give him what he wanted, but he didn't want to be the one to reach out. He'd been stabbed by a killer, his ex-wife and son were now in Witness Protection and Reid was acting like a child. He hadn't wanted to give Reid the satisfaction of being the one to reach out. Instead, he'd played the waiting game. 

On Aaron's first day back at work, he had been shocked to find that Reid wasn't there. He should have been back to work long before Aaron. Unlike the others, his desk was always neat and tidy, unless he was actively working on things. There had been something off about the desk but he hadn't cared to look at it to figure it out. Then the case was being presented and Reid didn't show up. He'd asked the team and they all told him that they didn't know, Strauss had told them that she was handling Reid. So Aaron had gone up to his office. Somewhere in his files was the one about the case. He found it and there was a summary write up of Reid's injuries, along with the note to see employee file. Aaron dug around and found a file with Reid's name on it. At the top was his exit interview. Aaron had closed the file, he hadn't had time to actually look at it. He'd set it down but then opened it back up and signed off on his resignation. He'd wait to tell the team until after the case.

Movement on the high ridge had Aaron turning and looking. His heart stopped at the sight of a man on crutches. His suit was dark but Aaron could see the brace that looked like something from the future, all metal and severe, encasing his leg from upper thigh to what looked to be his mid calf. Only then did he look at the man as a whole. Even with the crutches and jerky movement of it, he knew it was Reid. It had been over three months, why was he still on crutches? Reid never looked back as he climbed into the cab waiting on him. Then the cab was gone.

Reid had looked so different. His hair was the shortest that the younger man had ever had it. At maximum, it was two inches long. Aaron wanted to get back to the office. Reid's file was still on the corner of his desk, he'd not figured out why he'd been unable to send it off. Strauss had to have known. She'd handled Reid's leaving. She had known. She had known how injured he was. He looked at the team around him and wondered exactly how they hadn't known. Why were they hiding it from him? He thought back over the months. They had only ever referred to it as a flesh wound. Except for JJ. She never chimed in at all. Aaron caught Jessica's eye. She moved towards him. 

"Jack, Aunt Jessica is going to take you over to the limo. I'll see you soon, okay?" Aaron made sure that Jack was okay with it before he handed his son over. Jessica started towards the limo that would take them to the wake. She slipped inside but the limo stayed. Aaron turned to the team. They all looked at him. "How injured was Reid?" 

The team all wore looks of shock on their faces. Will kissed JJ's cheek and then he was leaving. He moved towards their car. JJ's face was like stone. 

"Hotch, it was just a flesh wound. He was fine. He was totally fine. He just got scared. He'll probably come back in a few months with his tail between his legs," Prentiss said as she tried to direct him towards the limo. Aaron fought her hold. His eyes hadn't left JJ, so he wasn't shocked when she snorted. She knew everything. She knew everything about Reid and hadn't said a word. 

"I overheard Erin tell her secretary that he had surgery to repair some muscles," Dave said, looking at Prentiss with a strange look on his face. Dave was starting to get that it wasn't just a flesh wound. Aaron had been so angry on Reid not coming to him that he'd let it fester. He'd allowed it cloud his mind. Reid had come back after being at the hands of Tobias, Charles, and Raphael before he should have. He'd been hurt and abused and had come back. A gunshot was nothing compared to that. Aaron let his whole body slump down. He'd failed not just Haley but Reid as well, only he thought that while he hadn't been fast enough to save Haley, he hadn't even tried to save Reid.

"Did you hear her tell her secretary when he would have been allowed back?"

"No."

"Hotch, he should have been back at work before you. He got scared, like Prentiss said." Morgan looked at Aaron like he was worried about his mind. 

"Why are you asking this?" Garcia asked Aaron as she stepped closer to Morgan. 

Aaron got it in that moment. He looked at JJ and saw the sadness in her eyes when she finally looked up at him. The sadness that said she knew that he got it. He wanted to chase down the cab but he had no clue where it was. He thought about where Reid lived for the first time. Reid lived in a walk up and no one else had even thought about it. Crutches and a walk up were not good friends. No matter how bad, a gunshot would have had him on crutches for a while and no one seemed to care about that. The days following that horrible day flashed in his mind. JJ had been handling the press about not only Aaron's attack but the case in McLean, she'd been busy. He'd seen her only a little, but the rest of the team, he could account for them almost every single second of each of those days and none of them were at Reid's side. No one had gone to him. 

"It's really funny that all of you are standing here talking about how minor that wound was. How he'd just been scared. When did you last see him?" Aaron looked at each of them as they answered. He didn't look at JJ and she didn't offer. Prentiss hadn't seen him since she'd left the doctor's house and the others hadn't seen him since the ambulance had taken him away. Garcia hadn't seen him since Canada. None of them had visited him, not even Dave. When he asked about talking to him, it was much the same. "Then that explains it."

"Explains what?" Dave asked.

Aaron pointed up where the cab had been. They all followed his gaze. "That's where he was not even ten minutes ago. Up there, not down here. He got into a cab, still on crutches and his entire leg encased in a brace. So tell me this, if it was such a small wound, how come he was still on crutches and in a brace? That doesn't seem that minor." Aaron felt disgusted with himself. He'd allowed his anger and the words of others to keep him away from Reid. He didn't even try to place himself in Reid's shoes. Laying in the hospital with no one around him. He wanted to throw up. "I was on the good side of my injuries when Prentiss found me in the hospital. He'd just been shot and you all decided that I was more important than him. No wonder he left and has been ignoring all of your calls over the past two months. So how did you know it was just a flesh wound? Was it that he was talking? That he was more worried about someone else? He took drugs while working and was lost for months and it wasn't until he missed a plane that any of us worried about him enough to care. And he was left alone after being shot on a case while everyone went to me."

"He wasn't alone," JJ whispered. Every eye was on her as her words sunk into the team's mind. Aaron nodded at her when she looked at him. "Will was with him the entire time and I got updates as he did. I didn't even realize that no one else had seen him until he told me that he was quitting. I stood there in his hospital room and looked at him. He was devastated, but I couldn't refute a single word that he said. The nurses backed him up when he made a comment about no one but Will visiting him. I just thought that he was asleep when the rest of you visited, but Will only left his room at night. Our neighbor watched Henry. Will knew that something was wrong and he didn't want him to be alone. I'm thankful."

"You didn't try and fight him? Get him to stay?" Garcia asked. She looked scandalized. Like JJ had let her down.

"You don't understand. None of you do. He stayed in this job because he liked it. I've been to his apartment after cases. Where his mail has piled up. Offers from colleges and science labs, even infinitely funded think tanks. Jobs where he can make two and three times what he did with us. Without getting shot at, without trying to save someone's life that hangs in the balance. Where he could be his own boss. You see him as this little kid, but to the academic world, he's one of the top minds. He'd been reading one and left it on his kitchen table when he went to grab the dinner he'd ordered for us. It was Boeing. They were offering him a million a year as a starting salary. Why would I want to keep him here? He was faced with a reality that I never thought would happen when he was alone when the doctor came in and told him that he'd have a long road to recovery."

"But we're f..."

"DON'T!" JJ interrupted her. She stared at Garcia and Aaron was sure that if she was a different woman, she'd have slapped her. "What family leaves him alone? What kind of family did what you five did to him? What was I supposed to do? Beg you all to see him? He would have hated me for it. I chose to do what he wanted. Spencer called Strauss and tendered his resignation over the phone, telling her that she'd have his handwritten one as soon as a courier was able to take it to the offices. She woke one up and sent him out to get it. I was dealing with the media and he did this all before Will got to him. By the time that I found out, it was too late. He asked me to keep my mouth shut about all of this and not even bring him up unless someone else asked first. I wasn't going to piss him off and have him go away to only be a name on letters and mailed presents to Henry. I had to make a choice and that choice was to keep him in my life and in Henry's life. He's my brother and I am always going to choose him." 

JJ turned on her heel and moved towards where Will was. 

"JJ!" Morgan called out. She stopped and turned to face him. 

"What do you want Morgan? Do you want to know more about him? I don't care. I've told you all that I am going to tell you. He'd hate me if I gave you more, and I don't feel that you need to know more. He's alive and he's leaving DC. That's all you need to know." JJ continues towards Will. Morgan started after her but Aaron grabbed his arm. 

"Hotch?" Morgan looked at him like he could fix it. Like Aaron could take it all back and make it all better.

"We made our bed, Morgan. We have to lay in it. We may not like it, but given that he's been dodging all of your calls and texts, and I know that Prentiss went by his place a few weeks ago and didn't get an answer. I doubt he's in his apartment, given it's a walk up and he's on crutches. All we can do is give it time and maybe she'll tell us how he's doing."

"And you can live with that?" Dave asked.

"We have to. We did this." Aaron started towards where Jessica and Jack were waiting on him. He slipped into the back of the limo and when Jack crawled into his lap, he just held him. Staring at the passing world. He'd been so angry that he'd ruined his own future. He lost a chance at happiness with Haley years before, putting the job first. Now he'd lost his chance at a happy future with Reid over his own pettiness.

Reid had admitted his feelings for Aaron in the aftermath of the anthrax case. Aaron knew that his feelings had been strong for him, but he'd still just passed it all of as Reid acting like a child in the wake of Foyet. It had never once crossed his mind that there was more than just a flesh wound going on with him not until seeing him on crutches. The younger man had had one of the worst cases on an emotional level and had toughed out going to see JJ in the hospital. The only way that he'd have not been at Aaron's side in the aftermath of Foyet had been because he was unable to. He'd let the others color what he was seeing and they had just been worried about him. He pulled out his cell phone and texted Reid. 

**I'm sorry.**

There was nothing else he could say about it. It was in Reid's hands to decide what was next but Aaron knew what he would do in the same situation. He knew all about Reid's past with his family and how abandoned he'd been in the aftermath of his father leaving. Being alone for putting his mother in Bennington. He'd never leave someone who needed him alone unless he had no choice.

If Aaron was Reid, he'd leave and never come back. He'd never think about the BAU again.


	3. 2010 Part 1

Aaron hated the mall in December. It was packed with too many shoppers rushing around and too many displays that one had to dodge as much as the people. He hadn't found a really good gift for Jack yet. He had several small ones, but nothing had jumped out at him for his main present. There was only a few weeks left before Christmas and Aaron was feeling the pressure. Knowing case history about the holiday's, he needed to find something yesterday.

The bookstore was the last place for Aaron. He had a few books that he wanted to get for Henry. With JJ not on the team anymore and working for the State Department, he didn't get to see Henry that much. It was hard losing JJ so close to Reid leaving. Aaron felt the guilt of losing JJ. She hadn't fought the placement. In fact, she'd taken the job as soon as it was offered and he hadn't even known that there had been an offer until after she'd accepted. Reid's replacement on the team had been long in coming. They had gone through three people before Aaron had even considered approaching Alex Blake. Her history with Strauss was rough, but she was good at her job. It had taken a little for the rest of the team to accept her, but they had with open arms once the getting to know her phase was over. It wasn't until her third case that she'd even let it slip that she knew who Reid was, much less knew him. He guest lectured with her a few times before he'd been injured and once after. Blake had only brought it up to him and it was never brought up again. 

"Who are you shopping for?" a sale lady asked. 

"I'm fine thank you," Aaron said back. The lady nodded and moved away to help someone else. Aaron found the children's section and looked at the books that Jack had loved when he was Henry's age. He grabbed several and then stopped. Books. Books were Reid's forte. Aaron set them back down as he pulled his phone from his pocket. He dialed JJ's number and waited.

"Jareau," JJ's voice was full of laughter. 

"JJ, it's Hotch." 

"Hotch, what can I do for you?" The tone of her voice went from happy to guarded but it wasn't an upset guarded, more that she wasn't sure why he was calling.

"I was picking up some things for Henry and well...I'd rather get him something that he could use instead of a toy, so I was thinking books."

"Oh. That's good. What were you thinking?"

"I don't know. I was going to pick up the ones that Jack liked at his age, but I was worried that someone else might have picked them up first." Aaron looked at the Dr. Seuss books.

"Spence has already completed his Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle books. I can text you some titles. Anything by Laura Numeroff is good. Spence went to the library and read the entire children's section. He recites them to Henry, and we gage which ones he likes and buys them. Oh! Do they have _The Monster at the End of This Book_? It's by Jon Stone."

Aaron moved down the book aisle and found the section where the book should be. Luckily there were a few copies of it sitting there. He grabbed it. 

"Yes. I have it in hand."

"Good. That and some of the Numeroff and you'll be fine. He'll like that." JJ laughed and Aaron could hear noises in the background that said she wasn't at home, but was out and about somewhere. 

"I'm sorry to bother you," Aaron said.

"It's fine. We are just out having dinner with a friend." There was more laughter in the background. It was almost certainly a male, so that meant Will. He'd interrupted family time. Even if she said there was a friend there. 

"Still, I'll let you go."

"I'll text you around Christmas and we can get something set up maybe the whole team can get together."

"Reid's doing okay right?" Aaron asked. He couldn't help himself. He didn't ask around the rest of the team but in quiet moments like this he'd ask.

"He's doing as good as he can." Was JJ's answer. It was the same answer that he always got. He wanted to know more, but was always scared to ask. Afraid to be told that he didn't need to know, or that Reid had said that he didn't want him to know. 

"Good. Send him holiday wishes from me?" Aaron asked. He did it around each holiday that passed and JJ always said she passed them along, and said that Reid said them back, but that was it. Aaron hoped that this time would be different, that something else would come with but he knew it wouldn't be. He'd learned that hope was damning. Yet, he didn't want to give it up. 

"Of course. Bye Hotch."

"Bye, JJ." Aaron hung up and pocketed his phone. He passed by the N's grabbing what looked like several of the books. He looked at the first and remembered reading it to Jack. He moved to the register and paid for the books. On display there at the register was a massive book on planes. It looked to be something for adults, but he just stared at it for several seconds before adding it to the the pile. Jack would love it. If he needed help understanding it all, it would be good time for them to spend together. 

As he left the store, a bulletin board caught his eye. It was a local event. He wondered if there was anything that he could do with Jack, case willing. A small academic section caught his eye. He looked it over for himself, but stopped when a name caught his eye. Doctor Spencer Reid. He was going to be at GWU to give a series of lectures on mathematics, or that was what Aaron assumed the lecture was about. He looked at the date and time. It was an hour from then. He'd just have enough time to get there. Aaron didn't even think as he hustled out of the mall to go. He dropped the books in the backseat and started his car. Thankfully, the traffic away from the mall wasn't that bad. 

Stepping into the lecture hall at GWU, Aaron had just moments to spare. It was packed. There were more than just students there. Aaron figured that the average age was somewhere around thirty years old. Reid was already standing at the podium, sorting papers. He wasn't looking at the crowd, but as the second ticked by the room got quieter and quieter. At thirty seconds to start time a woman walked across the room to stand in front of the podium, and finally Reid looked up. His hair was just as short as it had been when Aaron had seen him over a year before.

"Thank you all for coming tonight. The man behind me needs no introduction, but I'll go ahead and give one. Doctor Spencer Reid. He holds doctorates in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Engineering. Bachelor's in Psychology, Sociology, and Philosophy. And is currently working on a bachelors in Physics. This is his final lecture here at GWU for this round. All questions are to be saved for the end." The woman narrowed her eyes at a man in the front row. "That goes for professors as well as students."

The man raised his hands in supplication and Reid smiled at him. Aaron listened as Reid started to speak. Every single thing that he said went over Aaron's head, but the people around him were enraptured with him. He never moved from behind the podium, instead he used a projector to illustrate the concepts he was lecturing about. Aaron watched him typing away at a computer, and then the screen changed to a new image and Aaron smiled as the crowd laughed. It was a drawing of something that Aaron didn't understand, but the blue cow that was drawn over it was adorable. Aaron's heart constricted a little bit at the smile that was on Reid's face when he looked at the image. 

"That's what I get for leaving my notes out so that my godson can get to them, but it helped me." There was another image that popped up that circled a section of the cow. Aaron didn't understand, but the whole of the room gasped and several men and women who looked like professors leaned forward, intrigued. 

Reid looked good. He was dressed in a nice suit and he looked more sure of himself. Aaron could see that he was a lot better than he had been from what he had seen at Haley's funeral. He was wearing glasses and barely touched them. None of his cues that he used to give to show that he was nervous were there. He thought back to what JJ had said. This was the best thing for him. Getting away from the BAU and the team. He'd never seen how much they had treated him like a kid until the fallout of him getting shot. How much they never let him branch out, and kept him in the kid shaped hole the team had put him in. He was never going to be the one to break down doors like Morgan, but he'd never been allowed to shine. There were breakthrough moments, but then he was set aside. On that stage, talking about math, he shined, and Aaron could feel his heart ache. He hadn't allowed himself to think about what could have been, but now there was nothing else in his mind. He was guilty of just as much as the rest of the team in not letting him shine. Part of it was fear because if he shined too much, he'd go away. Keeping him in the BAU kept him there with Aaron, kept him where he wouldn’t not find someone else. Aaron had been insanely jealous for the brief time that Spencer and Austin had been talking, before Aaron had got his head out of his ass and admitted to the younger man that he had feelings for him. 

Aaron didn't even realize that the lecture was over until some people started to file out, and then he looked at Reid again, seeing him closing down the laptop and slipping it into a bag at his feet. He straightened up and a young woman came over and took it from him as well as handing him a new bottle of water. He smiled at her and she blushed back. He was handsome, there in his element. Sure of himself and the area that he was in. Aaron could see him as the hot professor that everyone wanted to try and seduce. 

Then he started to move away. There was a slight limp to his first step and then Aaron saw the cane. Even from the distance he could tell that it was expensive and wasn't something someone would buy who was using it from time to time or temporarily. It was over a year from him being shot and he was still using a cane. That gunshot had not only injured him it seemed to have robbed him of the ability to walk without a cane. He'd have been given a desk job. That was why he had left the bureau. It wasn't just the team. It was having to watch them go without him when cases came up.

That small sliver of anger at Reid about not being there to help find Foyet and get to him before he killed Haley was gone now. Even if he'd been allowed to work, he would have been sidelined to a desk job until off the crutches. There was no way that he'd have been able to help with Foyet, not in a way that would have ultimately mattered. He wasn't able to keep the tears from his eyes as he watched people flock around Reid, talking to him. Questions were asked and he answered. His eyes never going to the people hanging out at the back of the room. If he had looked up, with no one around Aaron, he would have seen him, so Aaron decided that it was time to go. He turned at the door and looked back at him. Allowing that love that he had for the younger man go. Filing it away in the same place where his love for Haley was. Because it was the only way he could function. He had to let go and he had to move on and he hadn't been able to over the past year. 

Jack was now his sole focus.


	4. 2010 Part 2

Spencer smiled as he pulled out of his parking spot he'd used the past few weeks at GWU. He settled into the seat as he drove. His hotel wasn't far away, but instead of turning in there, he kept driving. He drove around the city, seeing the changes in even the short time that he had been gone. He'd been there for a week and he hadn't really done anything except hang out with professors at GWU, and spend his nights with JJ, Will, and Henry. He stopped at the coffee shop that was by his old apartment. 

When he'd looked up to the room after asking a question, it wasn't hard to miss Hotch in the back of the room. He was in a suit, probably had come from work, so he stood out with the people in jeans and t-shirts at the back of the room. He'd expected the older man to come up to him, but when he'd been talking with some of the professors Hotch had slipped away. He blamed the older man for the walk down memory lane that he was indulging in. He got back into his car with a cup of steaming, very sweet coffee, and started to drive again. JJ and Will had always taken Henry to see him in Las Vegas and then California. He hadn't settled down after leaving the BAU. He had a myriad of job offers, but he hadn't picked a place to settle down so he moved from place to place, sometimes staying at a hotel for weeks on end. The rest of the time usually a professor or Dean had him stay with them. 

Spencer knew from JJ where Morgan was at. He was in the final stages of remodeling a new place and was staying in it at the moment. He stared at the windows, seeing someone moving around the living room area, but he had no urge to go inside. He had no desire to open that wound up again. Morgan had stopped calling and texting him a few weeks after Haley's funeral. He knew that Garcia was keeping track of him, but there wasn't a way to stop her. Thankfully, no cases for the BAU had come up in the areas he was often found himself in, so their paths never crossed. 

Prentiss's apartment was the same as it always had been. She was sitting on the deck that came off her living room. She was reading a book and from the distance, Spencer couldn't tell what it was. Again there was no urge to engage her. The first few weeks away from DC had been hard. Even though he'd been alone with just JJ, Will, and Henry, there was something about being so far from them. He had missed Morgan and Prentiss, but the ache for Hotch had been horrible. He couldn't understand how the man had never even tried to contact him. Even as a team leader, how did he not care that his subordinate was injured. 

Pulling away, Spencer turned back towards his hotel room. When he stopped at a light, Spencer realized that he had been driving towards Hotch's. He parked in the parking lot across the street and looked up. The apartment was dark, so that meant Hotch wasn't home, or that they were asleep. It was December, but that didn't mean that Hotch wouldn't not be out. He watched the people crossing in front of the apartment until he noticed Jack. The boy was bundled up, but he didn’t look all that different than he had at the funeral. Hotch was behind the boy with a smile on his face. They looked like they'd been at the park. He watched them as they moved into the foyer of the building.

The ache started up in his chest. The same as it always was, but the urge to go and knock on his door wasn't there. He wasn't the man who had been in love with the older man anymore. He wasn't happy with his life, but he wasn't unhappy either. He wanted to settle down, find somewhere to live where he could be happy, and while being near his mother had been good the past year, he wanted to be nearer to JJ and Henry again. 

Sitting on his desk in his hotel was a job offer for a private school in Virginia. It would be a good, generous offer and it would put him closer to his godson. The school wanted him for his degrees as well as him being a former FBI agent. The school was seeing a rise in students from DC whose parents were influential. He would be asked to have access to his gun while at school given the threats that had been made against the school. And the students were not unintelligent. They weren't rejects from public school, they were in private school because they were smart. 

The contract offered was for a year and anything further to be discussed at the end of the year. He'd had fun doing little classes here and there at colleges all around the west coast, but kids were different. But this was was family. He could do it for family.

There was no desire to go and check on Rossi or Garcia, he didn't know what to think about that. Rossi and he had moved to a point of mutual respect, but he hadn't felt the betrayal he had from the older man as he had the others. He didn't 'hang' with him after work. He didn't know much about his life outside of work, other than him having three ex Mrs. Rossi's, and that he was the reason that most of the fraternization rules existed in the BAU. And Garcia...he had no feelings of any kind when it came to her. He was numb to her. JJ had told him what she had said at Haley's funeral about making him stay. He felt sorry for her. That she was that sheltered. That she felt like him leaving was hurting her more than it was hurting him. That being left alone wasn't a good reason to protect himself. 

Turning the car back on, Spencer had made his decision. Himself above anyone.


	5. 2014 Part 1

Aaron looked at the exterior of New Haven Academy. He'd visited it several times over the summer, but seeing it bustling with teachers and the odd child, Aaron smiled. He could tell that the kids he could see were kids of some of the teachers as they followed said teachers around. He wondered if one of them was going to be the one watching Jack. The last time he'd been at the school to meet with the Headmistress, the teacher in question had been out of town visiting family. Aaron trusted the school, the background checks into the staff had come back clean, even if he hadn't been given access to it. If it had been another organization running it, Aaron would have demanded to see it, but the DOJ had given the background information to him. Not a single teacher at the school had a questionable thing in their background. He had an inkling the school was a little more than what it seemed, but it would be damned good on Jack's transcripts when it came time for college. He'd heard what some of the previous kids had gone on to do.

Jessica had heard about the school from a co-worker whose daughter had been turned down on going there. She'd gone on a tour over the summer, and then come back to tell Aaron. Aaron had done his own research on the school and found it to his liking. After taking his own tour, he had asked Jack if it was something that he would like, and the boy had been interested in going to see the school. So a visit for Jack had been planned. It also doubled as Jack's interview.

Jack had come home from the tour excited. He babbled about one of the science classrooms being filled with models of planes and jets. It had taken some wrangling, but Jack was accepted to the school three weeks before the start of term. There was a dress code, but no uniforms, thankfully, but still it prompted a shopping trip for the boy.

The trip had been hours long, but in the end it was totally worth it. Jack was required to wear ties so they had picked out a good bit of them for him. Including a few for Aaron so on some days, they could wear matching ties. Today was one of those days.

The security of the school was high and it was one of the things Aaron liked about it. Also it was on his way to work. He'd set up something with the school to drop Jack off on his way to work the days he was in town. One of the teachers would watch him. Jack hoped it was the science teacher with the planes. Aaron just hoped it was a teacher who didn't mind unending questions that his son had. Jack had never grown out of that phase. Aaron indulged him when he could, but he wasn't Reid, he couldn't produce answers from off the top of his head like the genius had. The thought of the younger man had him frowning a little. He turned away from Jack so that he wouldn't see. He thought about the younger man alone on the west coast and it made him sad. He hadn't allowed himself to think about him much the past four years. That took him down a road that he was loathe to go on. He had made peace with his life and he had to keep that peace.

Aaron knew there was a good chance of a case so Jessica would be picking Jack up when classes let out. Aaron wished that the case went away, but Garcia had been pretty sure of it the night before.

"I hope your day goes well. I'll text Jessica if a case comes up. But she knows to call when you get out of school so we can talk. I can spare a few minutes for that."

"It's okay if you can't." Jack smiled at him.

Aaron knew that Jack would understand if he didn't get to talk for long, but he wanted to be able to talk to Jack about his day. "I can make time. Don't worry. Have fun, and please Jack, try not to talk off the ear off whatever teacher is kind enough to watch you until school actually starts." Aaron needed to figure out who it was because he wanted to make sure that the teacher knew how appreciative Aaron was.

"I'll try dad." Jack leaned over for a hug and then was scrambling out of the car. Aaron watched as the school doors opened and the Headmistress waved at Aaron.

Even with security checks, Aaron was exiting his car fifteen minutes later. He waved at the guard patrolling the parking area and then started towards the elevator. While he waited for the rest of the team to arrive, he worked on paperwork.

By the time the team met in the round table room, Aaron had pushed Jack from the forefront of his mind. He looked at the team, missing the faces that were gone. Blake had replaced Reid who had been replaced with Tara Lewis a few months earlier. Prentiss was dead over two years now. Her and Reid were his biggest regrets. The team had been just too many steps behind Prentiss in looking for Doyle. Morgan had found her after she had already bled out. Doyle had ended up being caught by MI6 agents. The US would never get their pound of flesh from him for Prentiss's death. Morgan still hadn't gotten over it. Too many now had left the team never to be heard of again. Gideon, Elle, Reid, and even Prentiss. Each one was a hole in his armor that he hoped an UnSub never found.

"Hotch, Sir," Garcia said as she sat down. She slid over a file. "This was just faxed over. The UnSub was killed in a car accident. Drunk driver killed her with the fifth victim in the trunk. He was unharmed other than the knockout blow. So we are not needed."

"Okay. Then we can have a paperwork catch up day. I'll take the afternoon off as well."

"Really?" Dave asked, his eyebrow saying that he didn't believe him. Even with Jack he rarely took days off.

"Today is Jack's first day at New Haven." Aaron had only talked to Dave about the school, not wanting to talk about it before Jack got in. After he'd been accepted, Aaron had been too busy getting him set up and working to even think about telling the team.

"So he did get in?" Dave looked very happy.

"Yes." Aaron smiled.

"New Haven," JJ said. She looked a little shocked. "In Dumfries?"

"You know of it?"

"Will and I discussed starting Henry there this past year." JJ pulled her phone out and texted someone, probably Will. Aaron looked away as she did. He sometimes resented the fact that Will was so accepting of her job. Beth had been accepting, almost to the point that Aaron hadn't believed her, but she'd never got upset when his plans had changed. But Beth was now in Hong Kong.

"It's a good school," Kate said.

"Isn't that one of the schools that came under fire for allowing the teachers to carry firearms?" Lewis asked as she leaned forward in her chair.

"Yes. All of them are locked in safes under their desks." It was one of the things he liked about the school, given how Jack could become a target. He didn't have to worry. "They go to mandatory monthly testing. Most of the kids are military or kids of someone in the alphabet soup that is DC. There are also senator's kids and the like. Security is top notch."

"Did Jack want to go there?" Morgan asked.

"We toured it, and he was looking forward to today. I dropped him off on the way to work today, and when we are on cases a teacher there will let him hang out."

"And Jack is going to talk his or her ear off," Dave said with a smile. Aaron laughed and nodded. He looked at JJ who was staring at her phone. Aaron wondered if Jack going there would prompt her to send Henry. The two boys were close. He knew that Will and Jessica would sometimes meet up for a day of fun for the boys when they worked cases out of town.


	6. 2014 Part 2

Spencer settled in at his desk, waiting for his student to arrive. The new Headmistress, Charlotte Moneta, asked him three weeks ago if he was willing to watch a student for about an hour before classes started each day. He had his file, but wanted to meet the kid before reading it, he did that will all new students. Spencer was always ready from the night before, so coming in a little early to watch the student wasn't a big deal. The Headmistress was always busy and he kept forgetting to ask the name. He had worried that if he opened the file, he'd read it. He knew it was a he, and he was a late register, and that his dad worked at Quantico Base. 

"Jack, this is Doctor Reid," Moneta said as she escorted the kid in. Spencer looked up and was thankful he was sitting down otherwise he would have fallen down. Looking at Jack Hotchner was like getting punched in the gut. He looked more like his dad than he had almost five years ago. Spencer gulped as he stood up. Would Jack remember him? He wasn't sure which he wanted. If Jack did, he'd tell Hotch, and he didn't want that, but if he didn't, that meant he wasn't worth remembering. 

"The other students affectionately call him Doctor Cane. He'll be the teacher you will sit with on the mornings your father brings you into school. Reid, this is Jack Hotchner." Moneta raised an eyebrow when Spencer mouthed Hotchner with her. Her face was confused, and then sad. Moneta knew that he'd been FBI, knew that he'd had issues with his team and left because of that. What team, he'd never told her. She asked silently if this was okay and Spencer nodded back. He smiled at her and came around his desk. Jack's eyes went to Spencer's cane and then up to his face. 

"Jack, it's wonderful to meet you." Spencer stuck out his non-cane hand and Jack moved closer to shake it. Jack smiled at him. "Headmistress Moneta, we will be just fine."

"I'm sure you will be." She turned and left, shutting the door behind her. When Spencer looked at Jack, his eyes were on the planes hanging from the ceiling. All of them were models that he and Henry had put together. His eyes were wide with wonder. Spencer's heart ached at that.

"Do you like planes, Jack?" Spencer wanted him to say no. Because he had a vivid memory of a cookout at Morgan's with a toddler Jack and infant Henry just a few weeks before he'd been shot. He'd entertained Jack for two hours talking about planes and taking apart the model he'd been entertaining Henry with.

"I love them. Dad tells me I've loved them since I was three." Jack reached out and touched the new model. Spencer hadn't figured out where to put it. "I don't remember who, but someone from dad's FBI team got me into them. Sometimes I remember things dad has told me about him but he removed all the pictures of him from the house so I've forgot what he looked like."

"FBI huh?" Spencer asked, playing dumb. 

"Dad works in the BAU. Behavioral Analysis Unit. He's the Unit Chief." Jack looked proud. Spencer smiled at him. He was glad that Jack was still proud of his father. That the job hadn't robbed Hotch of that. 

"That's good. So what interests you beside planes? I have a very large library at home and can bring in books from home once we cover planes."

"What?"

"I never have work to do in the mornings as I finish it all before I leave the day before. That's why I was chosen to watch you. I have degrees in mathematics, chemistry, engineering, physics, psychology, sociology, and philosophy. I came in early just for this. So that means that we can do whatever you want." Spencer hadn't made plans because he wasn't sure what type of kid he was going to get. 

"That's so cool." Jack was looking at him like he was something really exciting. The kids at the school loved him. He was their go to teacher if they had a problem understanding homework from another class. "Do you know anything about the Boeing P-8 Poseidon?"

Discussion of that plane and advancements needed to make it a reality took them up until the rest of the students started to arrive. Jack smiled at him and waved before he grabbed his bag and left the room. Spencer slumped in his chair and sighed, looking at the ceiling. He'd carefully kept himself from thinking about Hotch for over a year. Every time he thought about what might have been, he'd make himself change his train of thought. Now it was all smacking him in the face again. He tried to force his thoughts back to the school day, but he couldn't. 

Indulging his mind, Spencer thought about how the day would have been if he had been part of the family. A breakfast cooked by him and Hotch. Spencer and Jack taking one car while Hotch took a second. Or even Hotch driving all of them. Rushed kisses as Spencer and Jack ran out of the house or a quick kiss as Spencer was getting ready to get out of the car if Hotch drove. His door opening had Spencer looking up. It was Moneta. 

"Your resume stated you were BAU but I didn't think..."

"Jack is the son of my former Unit Chief. He doesn't remember me so I'd like to keep it that way. If he's like most of the other kids only Doctor Cane will be what he remembers."

"I can have another..."

"If we change now he'll push until he knows why. He is his father's son. It's fine, really. We had fun. As long as Jack never calls me Doctor Reid to Hotch, I'll stay hidden."

"We love having you here, and I know you love teaching here. If push comes to shove, I'd rather lose Jack Hotchner as a student than lose you as a teacher."

Spencer smiled and the door opened again. Sara, one of his now seniors ran in. She had a stack of papers in her hand. 

"Doctor Cane! I got in! I got into Cal-Tech! Full academic scholarship!" Sara ran right to him and hugged him. Spencer hugged her back just as tight. He pulled her back to look her in the face.

"I told you that you would. Now hurry up and get to class. We can talk about it at lunch." 

Sara smiled at him and then ran back out of the classroom.

"I don't want to lose you as a teacher."

"You won't. I'm happy here. Now I have a class of freshman to prepare for." Spencer turned back to look at the papers for his freshman earth science class. His mornings were the general classes that were needed for kids to graduate, but his afternoons were the specialty classes. With students like Sara. There was even a class with younger students who liked to learn anything and everything. 

Normally, Spencer left his cell phone in his desk, but he had become distracted by Jack and as he put it away it vibrated. 

_Hotch dropped Jack off at New Haven. He's one of the new students._ JJ was a day late and a dollar short with telling him. That meant Hotch hadn't told the team. She would have warned him before now. He wondered why Hotch hadn't told the team. If it was on purpose, or it was about the fact that Jack had been late in getting into the school, and he hadn't wanted to run the risk of jinxing him.

_I'm well aware as he left my classroom a few minutes ago. I'll be watching him on the mornings that Hotch drops him off on his way to work._

_ There is no one else that can do it? _

Seconds later, a second text appeared on his screen. Spencer stopped to read it before he sent one of his own back.

_ Jack didn't recognize you? _

_I don't mind watching him. We spent the morning talking about planes. And no he didn't recognize me. The last time I spent any real time with him was when he was three._

_ The party that you got him hooked on planes. _

_ Please tell me that you are fine? _

_JJ, it's the past and I don't dwell on it and what might have been._

_ Fine but dinner at mine. The case was a bust so Hotch will be getting off early to pick up Jack. Don't be outside for any reason when classes let out. _

_Dinner at yours. I can talk to Henry about his first day at school. I promise that I will stay inside after last bell._

_ Good. Dinner at six. _

_See you then._

The day went by fast with his last class being the younger students. He wasn't shocked to see Jack in the class. Jack sat in the seat directly in front of his desk. A few of the other students laughed as Spencer pulled out a film canister. He looked into Jack's face and decided that he needed a helper. If this was all he was ever going to have of the boy that he could have loved as his son, he would take it. 

Class flew by with Jack's help during the class. He was more than willing to run and grab him anything. After the summer, his knee and leg were aching a little as he moved around. It would get more used to it as the week went on. 

"Doctor Cane?" Jack asked as the rest of the class filed out.

"Yes, Jack?" Spencer closed his book and looked up at him.

"Would you...I know that I'm only supposed to be dropped off early when dad is in town, but would you mind if...My aunt Jessica would normally brings me to school when dad is out of town, but maybe I can talk..." Jack stopped and shook his head.

"I'd be fine with you coming every day early." 

Jack smiled at him and ran forward to hug him. Spencer hugged him back tight. He tucked Jack's head under his own and closed his eyes against the tears that wanted to escape. He needed to not break down. Jack pulled back and then was out of the classroom, shutting the door behind him. He could do this. He had to do this.


	7. 2014 Part 3

Aaron was parked in the line of waiting parents picking up kids. He saw Jack come out of the school with a smile on his face. As soon as his eyes landed on the car, Jack took off running towards him. Every single line of his body screamed happiness.

"DAD!" Jack near screamed as he fell into the car seat, throwing his backpack into the back seat. He buckled in and then turned and looked at his dad. "Dad, Doctor Cane is the one who is going to watch me every morning and he's so cool. He even said that Aunt Jessica can bring me in early as well, even when you are out of town."

Aaron looked at Jack in shock. He was a likeable kid, but most of his teachers at his public school found him to be too much. He knew that the Headmistress had said that the teachers at the school loved teaching but this was something else. 

"Really?" 

"Headmistress Moneta talked to him and I have a letter from her for you. I can get it out when we get home. So do you think Aunt Jessica would mind?"

"I don't think so buddy. So what did you and Doctor Caine do today?"

"We talked about the Boeing P-8 Poseidon."

"So he was the teacher with the planes in his room?" Aaron smiled. 

"Yes, and his science class is so much fun. I was his helper today. We made a big mess it coated the floor and the lab station that we made it on, but before we could all run to get mops and buckets, it was this fine powder all over the floor, and we just needed a broom and a dustpan. He told us that by the time that the year was out, he'd show us how to make it at home. Jenny got it all over her skirt, but it didn't stain, and once Doctor Cane had taken the fan to her skirt, it was dried and it was like she hadn't been all wet."

"So you think you are going to like it there?"

"I love it there, Dad." Jack chattered on for the entire ride home. Talking about all of his classes, but talking about Doctor Caine more than anything else. For safety's sake, the DOJ had the list of employees locked on a digital database. He knew that. He'd been told that. One had to actually be on the grounds to meet all the teachers. It was a pilot school in that fashion. All the teachers were vetted through the highest levels, but the majority of their information was basically classified. If things went well for the school for a few more years, other high priority schools would get the same treatment, basically disappear from the digital world. The NSA was responsible for hiding the school. Aaron had been told that Britain had several schools like it as well. 

Jessica came to dinner that night so that Aaron could talk to her about dropping Jack off early to school, even when he was out of town. She stayed until after Jack was put to bed. 

"So he really likes the school." Jessica sat down with her glass of wine on the opposite end of the couch.

"Yes."

"I know that you worried about Beth, but he doesn't miss her. I think that he knew that you weren't that serious so he didn't get attached. I overheard him talk to Henry about it the other day. Henry was asking where she was because she hadn't been to any of the team things in a while."

"I just didn't...I didn't fall in love with her. With Haley it was near instant. I was so young, though, then."

"And there is the person you fell in love with after Haley." Jessica pointed out. Aaron looked at her in shock. "Don't look like that. Jack heard some of your nightmares after Haley's death. Whoever Spencer is, he was an idiot for leaving you at a time like that."

Aaron could only look at her. Jack had never said anything about hearing him. He didn't want Jessica thinking the worst though. "There is a lot more to it than that, Jess. A lot more. I wasn't aware that Jack had heard me. That Spencer he heard me dreaming about is actually Doctor Spencer Reid."

"Reid? Wasn't that the name of one of...the one who left after he'd been shot. You were in love with him?" It was Jessica's turn to wear a shocked face. "Jack says that you had a dream about him a few weeks ago."

"It was a case that reminded me of one of the first he was part of the team for, that's all. And how much better it would have been if he had been there."

"Have you seen him since then?"

"Not since the day of Haley's funeral. And even then I just saw him, I didn't get to talk to him."

"So it's unfinished business?" Jessica looked at him and he could see Haley in her face. It made his heart ache. "Maybe you should try and finish it. Find him. Talk to him."

"It sounds simple, but it's really not."

"You aren't going to move on until you know for sure, Aaron." Jessica drained her wine glass, kissed his forehead, leaving him alone in the living room. Aaron picked up his cell phone and unlocked it. He looked at the messaging and scrolled to the bottom. Reid's number was still in his phone along with his message of sorry. Everything case related, he'd deleted. But he hadn't been able to delete the I'm Sorry or the number. He typed out a message, but then erased it, locking his phone. That was not how he wanted to talk to him for the first time in over five years.


	8. January 2015 Part 1

Spencer wasn't shocked when Jack near bounced into his classroom. He'd got to spend two extra hours with the boy that morning as a delay due to road conditions, which had school starting later, but neither one of them had been upset about that. He had known that morning that Hotch would be going to work at the normal time so he'd made sure to be there. He'd waited at the door, and when Aaron had pulled up he'd opened it. Jack had carefully made his way out of the car and across the sidewalk that was coated in salt due to the ice that was over everything. 

Five months into the school year and Spencer's class was still Jack's favorite, he came to school at the same time nearly every day no matter if his father was on a case or not. Spencer handed over the papers that needed passed out and Jack put one on each seat in the lab. The rest of the students filed in quickly as the bell got close to ringing.

When the door to the lab shut hard and the clang of the deadbolts sliding from one side of the doorway to the other happened, Spencer didn't react other than to look. It was about time for another drill. There was always one in either December or January that wasn't planned to test the teachers as much as the students. However, the red light above the door flicking on had Spencer inputting the code into his gun safe and pulling the gun out. As soon as the kids saw it, they scattered to their hiding spot. From the window in the door, the corner at the other end of the inside wall wasn't visible. There was no way in through the door and if someone came around to the window they would find them bullet resistant. Spencer had enough ammo in his safe and he slipped three extra clips into his pockets before shutting the safe. He directed two of his kids under the desk. The space where the feet went was hidden from the other side. Unless whoever was attacking got into the room and around the desk, they would never know that they were there. Eliana was deaf. Spencer signed for her to stay quiet until he told her not to be. With her was Deanna, her partner in all classes. Deanna knew sign language and would help her with anything that she needed. 

The rest of the kids were dead silent as Spencer sat down in a chair with his entire body focused on the door. If he didn't have his knee problem he'd be standing. He leaned forward to slip his gun into the back holster he had on. He heard kids gasp behind him. Then he felt a weight at his back. He turned enough to see who it was. Jack. He pulled him a little closer to his back. The sounds of gunfire echoed down the halls. 

"Try and be quiet. Think about anything else. Think about Field Day in May. Think about your vacation over the summer."

"Dad will come," Jack whispered in Spencer's ear. 

Spencer closed his eyes for two seconds and wished that Hotch was there. He remembered Des Moines and how he felt when he shot Dowd. There was silence for several long minutes before the door locks disengaged. Spencer relaxed back, but he didn't tell the kids to move. Only security and the Headmistress could unlock the door to his room, beside Spencer himself. He was halfway to standing when the door opened. He expected to see Bob, the head of security, but instead two men stepped in with glocks trained on him. He raised his hands in supplication. There was no time to draw his gun.

"Just have a seat, teach." The first man said. They both had on face masks with eye and mouth holes cut in them. Spencer sat down. "We are all going to sit in here and be comfortable for a little while." The second man shut the door and Spencer heard the locks engage. Whoever these hostage takers were, they were well off. There was more than one, and it didn't seem to be a random nonsense hostage situation. They were here for a reason, and Spencer needed to find out that reason before he could safely get the kids out. Thankfully, these guys didn't know who they were dealing with.


	9. January 2015 Part 2

Aaron heard all of the phones in the bullpen ringing followed by his own. Something big had to have happened. As he picked up the phone, his cellphone went off as well with a text alert. He picked it up and read the text. His blood stopped cold.

"Hotchner," Hotch said as he tried not to run out of the office. It was from New Haven. An alert went out to all parents when security measures were enacted and it wasn't a drill. And it was an all points. The entire school was being evacuated, but no reason given. He stood up to look at his team which were all mobilizing. 

"Aaron, New Haven Academy has been taken hostage. Currently we don’t know how many hostiles, but the DOJ wants your team to lead the negotiations. I know that Jack goes there, but you'll have HRT and SWAT there as well." Cruz sounded worried because it was a school full of kids. All eyes in the nation would be on them to resolve it peacefully.

"I just got the alert that security was activated. I'll need as many agents as we can spare to keep the parents calm. As soon as I can get into SUVs we'll be out."

"I have two being taken to the front of the building now for your team. Hurry. More agents will arrive as we can get them going." 

Aaron threw his desk phone into the cradle and then moved to his door, grabbing nothing as he went. He already had his gun on his hip. His team was already in vests and ready to go. Dave had a vest for him in his hands. 

"DOJ wants my team on point for hostage negotiation at New Haven. I need everyone else on parent wrangling. When the security measures are activated, a text goes out. The farthest parking lot on the west side of the grounds is where the parents are told to go. I need you all to make sure that they don't go farther and to keep them updated and calm. I don't need one of them freaking out."

"DOJ is thinking terrorists aren't they?" Dave asked as he stepped up to hand off the vest. 

"I have no clue. My team wheels up now. Everyone else, get in a vehicle and get there. Anderson, direct everyone where they need to go. HRT and SWAT are on route now. Let's go." Aaron strapped on the vest and moved towards the door.

Aaron barely remembered driving to the school. His mind was totally focused on the fact that Jack was in danger. For anyone to have made it that far into the school, it meant that they were good, and that meant they weren’t going to be taken down that easy. His phone beeped and he handed it over to Dave. 

"Three confirmed dead security guards. Their bodies were tossed out of the school. The Headmistress was shot in the stomach, and tossed outside as well. SWAT have retrieved her and she's on the way to the hospital. The Deputy Headmaster is with HRT right now. Head count is a little wonky, but there is only a single teacher and one class not accounted for. Details are sketchy."

"We will know more once we make it there," Morgan said from the back. 

Just as Aaron was pulling onto the grounds, his phone rang. He looked at Dave and nodded. SWAT already had blocks up to stop anyone from entering from that way. He could see another block at the west side, but he could see that they were allowing parents in. Dave made a motion with his hand and Aaron parked and took the phone. 

"Hotchner," Aaron said as his eyes looked at the school.

"We have terrorists that have set upon the city. I need at least Dave here on hand to help. He's the best that we have. You handle the school and we'll take care of Quantico." Cruz knew as well as Aaron did that two attacks so close, there was something up. There had to be a connection. 

"I'll send Dave right now. Garrett's team is out of the country aren't they?" 

"Yes. Belize. Keep me up to date." The other line switched off and Aaron could tell how stressed Cruz was. 

"I will." Aaron hung up and turned back. "We have terrorists hitting the City of Quantico. Dave, Morgan, Lewis, JJ I want you to go. Callahan and I can handle this. 

"Hotch, I want to stay here," JJ said as she looked at him. 

"I want you there. You can help with figuring them out as well as handling the media. With the school privatized, it won't be general knowledge, but Quantico is a whole city. You can do more good there." The fact that the city was being attacked meant that no eyes would be on the school.

JJ nodded, but she didn't look happy. Her eyes went to the school, he knew that she was worried about Jack. So was he. He needed to have his son in his arms.

Morgan, JJ and Dave exited the SUV and moved to the one behind. Lewis jumped out of the driver's seat and moved to the back as Morgan took her former seat. Dave got into the passenger seat and JJ the other back seat. Callahan moved closer to him, looking at the school. 

"We have a teacher and one class still inside. I want you to start figuring out who is still inside."

"Agent Hotchner?" A man asked as he came close. His eyes were on the retreating SUV. "I thought we were getting the full A team for the BAU?"

"City of Quantico has been set upon by terrorists."

"Agent Simmons, head of HRT. Keillor of SWAT is at our base which we have set up over this way. The Deputy Headmaster has figured out the class. It's the last class of the day so the security team was preparing for the departure of the students. The classes were locked down. Security inside the school was taken out and then the classroom doors were opened. The teachers know that means to get the kids out, that the threat had been neutralized. They started towards the west parking lot and that's when they realized they were a class short."

"How?" It had to have been chaos. How were they able to tell that quick? 

"Doctor Reid is the teacher that is stuck in the school. He walks with a cane and so it wasn't hard to realize he wasn't there according to the Deputy. That also means that it was an inside job. They had control of the security systems and that class was kept back for a reason. His classroom is closest to an exit so keeping him back wasn't easier. It was harder. That class was targeted."

Aaron looked at Simmons and closed his eyes for a few seconds. Doctor Reid, cane. The words were echoing in his mind. Doctor Cane not Doctor Caine. "What is the full name of the teacher?"

"Um." Simmons pulled out a piece of paper. He shrugged. 

"Doctor Spencer Reid," a man said as he stepped up. "Agent Hotchner, he holds one of the best range scores for the teachers. And he is very calm under stress. Edward Justins, Deputy Headmaster."

"Do the kids call him Doctor Cane?" Aaron wondered for a few seconds how he had missed it. There was a good bit of information that screamed Reid in what Jack talked about in class. Reid knew it was his Jack, but had kept quiet. 

"Yes. Your Jack is very taken with him and yes Jack is in that classroom with him right now. We were cut off from the outside feeds for security, but I think that someone can hack in if they are good enough."

Aaron texted Garcia and asked her to hack into the security feeds for the school. There was no way that he'd be able to keep it quiet that Reid was the teacher in that room, and he didn't need that now. He looked at Callahan and was very happy that he'd kept her with him. There was no history there, and given the look on her face, she hadn't recognized him. He just hoped that on the feed, Garcia didn't see that it was Reid. 

JJ had to have known. There was no way that she didn't know that he was in the area. That was why she had wanted to stay. He remembered that morning when he'd told the team that Jack was going there. He'd thought she was texting Will but she hadn't been. She'd probably been warning Reid, not knowing that Reid had known since the moment that Jack had entered his classroom. He respected that Reid had kept it from Jack who he was. He'd been so close for so long, and now he was in that school with hostage takers who were part of a group who was trying to take Quantico. 

The only bright side was that other than himself, Reid was the best person that Aaron would want in there with Jack at the moment. 

By the time that Aaron and Callahan made it to the makeshift command center, SWAT had a head count on how many were seen entering the grounds. Thankfully, the cameras on the gate were on a different set of protocols, and had an on camera back up that the Deputy was able to give HRT access to. Ten men had entered in two cars that were as of yet unaccounted for. There were still three guards unaccounted for as well, and Aaron was counting them as hostile. So that was thirteen men. His phone rang. He looked at it, it was Garcia.

"Tell me you have good news," Aaron said in lieu of a greeting.

"I have access. I just need a laptop to give access to."

Aaron looked at Simmons. "I need a laptop that has Internet and can run the feed from the security cameras. My analyst has hacked them."

Simmons looked at the Deputy. The man handed over a laptop. "The Deputy's computer has the software installed to check things from home, so it'll be the best one to run the feeds on. It'll give us better access to the program."

Aaron relayed the information back that Garcia needed and in seconds after booting up, the feeds popped up. "Good Garcia. If I need you I'll call. You focus on Rossi and the others."

"Yes, Bossman."

The Deputy typed in something and the feed from a classroom popped up on the screen. It was from behind but they could tell that things were so far okay. It wasn't hard to recognize Reid's form, even after years of not seeing him. The younger man was sitting in a chair with the kids all behind him. He held himself in the same way, and his hair was styled different than Aaron had ever seen it. Aaron scanned the kids next and then watched as one shifted at Reid's back, turning his face a little. It was Jack. Reid had Jack behind him. He wanted to cry out in happiness, but he didn't. 

Reid turned his head towards the windows at the side and Aaron saw that he had a cut on his cheek. It looked like he'd been pistol whipped. Aaron felt his gut clench. Reid was alone. He thought he was alone. 

"SWAT has shots on the two men in the room through windows. They are staying away but they keep checking," Simmons said.

"No," the Deputy said. "That glass is bullet resistant. It would take too many shots to bust through. They could kill all the kids in that time, even with Glocks, especially if Reid didn't get to his gun."

"No, we are going to wait. We don't know their demands and we've had no contact with them as of yet." Aaron looked at the feed again and saw there on the corner of Spencer's desk was his cell phone. He grabbed his own cell phone and dialed it. The screen lit up and Aaron was very happy that Spencer hadn't changed his number. 

"Who is it?" one of the hostage takers asked as he moved over and grabbed the phone. Reid looked at the screen and closed his eyes. 

"My former boss," Reid answered. 

"Then you can call him back later," the hostage taker said before he threw the phone into the wall. 

Reid turned his head to look at the camera from the corner of his eye. Reid knew that he was there. Knew that he had eyes in the room. Reid knew that he wasn't alone. Even with time and distance, they knew each other's working minds well. 

"They don't want to talk," Aaron said. 

"What?"

"They wouldn't have destroyed the phone if they wanted to talk. Even if it was someone else calling. We have to trust that Doctor Reid can get everyone out."

"Why do you trust this man so much?" Simmons asked, turning to look at Aaron like he had grown a second head. Aaron had forgot that Simmons hadn't been around for the cock up that was the Foyet case in DC. 

"Doctor Reid has talked down paranoid schizophrenics and serial killers and shot a sniper with a gun that wasn't his own in the head, hands tied together. If I was in that room, Reid is the only one that I would want there with me." Aaron spared a glance at Callahan and saw that she finally realized who it was that was in that room.

"The genius," Callahan whispered. 

"Yes. I just tried to call him, and he didn't give my name to the hostage takers, that means something, I just have to figure out what. Also he looked at the camera. He knows that I am out here, and he knows that I know he is in there."

"You trust him that much?" one of the other agents asked.

"My son is in that room. If I couldn't be there, I'd want him to protect my son. We don't move until I give the word, the DOJ wanted me in charge and they knew that my son was in the school. I am also sure that they knew that Reid was teaching here."

"How do you know him so well?" Simmons asked.

"He was on my BAU team for five years until he was shot in the line of duty. That's why he uses a cane. He'll get those kids out alive and unharmed if he can, and no one else could do better." Aaron turned up the audio as one of the hostage takers stepped up to Reid again. He tuned out Simmons and someone from SWAT as they talked about how the only way to get the kids out at the moment was through one of the windows. Aaron agreed as the location of the hostage takers was known to them, all thirteen and none had shots along that side of the building.

"I'll ask again and this time I won't just hit your pretty little face, teach. Which one of these kids is Jack Hotchner?" 

"Hotch?" Callahan asked. 

"I want full backgrounds on the guards that are unaccounted for. I want Garcia to figure out what their first meal was on their first day of kindergarten. Something was missed on their background checks and we have to find it." Aaron didn't look away from the camera as he issued his order. Reid's hands were fidgeting and Aaron wanted to know why. He had to rely on what Reid could get him. He now knew why Reid hadn't named him, but what did the screen say? Then he remembered that a lot of his numbers in his phone were just that. Numbers. He had an eidetic memory and didn't feel the need to have names. The team had been named before, but given that he ignored their texts and calls previously, they were all probably relegated to just humbers now. But that also meant that them not knowing who is former boss was meant that they didn't know who he was. How did the three guards who had turned on the school not know who Jack was? They had gone into that school without a picture of Jack. It screamed sloppy but there was a two pronged attack going on. 

"Agent Hotchner. I'm doing a headcount in that room and well...two of the kids are unaccounted for. I can't get exacts on who it is as most of the kids are hiding their faces, but I think that it's Deanna and Eliana, they were both in classes today."

Aaron kept his eyes on Reid. There was something with his fidgeting hands, but Aaron couldn't place it. He watched for several minutes before he made a sign that Aaron knew. 

"Deputy, are any of the students in Reid's classroom deaf?"

"Yes. Eliana is deaf and Deanna knows sign language as well. They have been attached at the hip since starting school together in Kindergarten. All of our teachers know enough sign language to teach Eliana. We had an aide in with her, but Deanna has taken up enough of the slack that Eliana had her parents not hire the aide back this year. Why?"

"Reid is signing something. You said you were two kids short. Those two are in sight of Reid. He's talking to them, but his hands are at an angle that it'd be hard to see what he is signing."

"Reid started to learn sign language as soon as he accepted the position." Justins moved closer as he spoke. Aaron let him, but after a minute agreed that he couldn't figure out what Reid was saying to the girls. The hostage takers were idiots if they hadn't realized that he wasn't just nervous. They were crap body language readers. Movement at the edge of the screen told Aaron where the girls were. They were under Reid's desk. If he knew Reid well enough, and he thought that he did, he'd have physics magic things in a desk drawer to be able to shock kids with. He always had carried some around in his bag for helping to settle child victims. 

Before Aaron could even extrapolate, the sound of one of Spencer's film canister rockets went off, and the two hostage takers focused on the desk, but before they could move, two things were tossed in the space between the men and the kids. 

"SWAT! Be prepared for the kids to run!" Aaron yelled. He stayed at the laptop watching. The hostage takers were getting harder to see with the smoke pouring out of whatever the hell those two girls had made at Reid's instructions. As soon as the canister had went off, Reid had moved. His hand had gone behind his back, and with his other hand he shifted the grip on his cane. As the first hostage taker made it out of the smoke, Reid brought the cane up and cracked him across the head with it. The two girls and Jack ran away, towards the windows. 

The man on the floor wasn't moving. Reid had either killed him or knocked him out. Aaron watched as Jack fiddled with something, and one of the windows fell to the ground outside the room. As soon as Reid stood up and made a motion with his hand, the rest of the kids were running towards the window. Jack though, didn't dart out the window, he ran towards the hostage taker. He watched his son pick the gun up and pop the clip. He'd always kept Jack up on proper handling of a gun given that he had several inside of his house. The guns were in safes, but he'd rather Jack know what not to do, than to hurt himself out of curiosity. Jack clicked the safety on next. The sound of a gun going off had everyone reacting. Aaron looked to see Reid with his gun up and in the smoke he could see a body falling. Aaron wondered if it was a head shot. With the black mask and light clothing, it was the best place for a shot given the smoke. Reid scooped up the gun from Jack's hands, pushing him towards the window before going to the other man and taking his gun. Both were thrown out the window as far as Reid could throw them. Jack was out the window next with Reid following him. 

Aaron was up like lightning. He grabbed a secondary vest from a pile and then was running. SWAT was pulling the kids to safety, but before an agent could get to Reid, Aaron was there. He was slower with the cane, unable to run. Aaron threw the vest over him, tightening it enough to where it wasn't going to fly away before he scooped up Jack and tucked him into his body. 

The sound of a second shot had Aaron wanting to turn but he couldn't. He couldn't risk Jack like that. He looked at Reid as they moved as fast as they could. The sound of a sniper rifle firing told Aaron that SWAT had taken out someone. 

"We are clear to take them out!" Aaron yelled at Simmons who was only ten feet away. Simmons nodded and said something into his radio. SWAT was going to take the rest of the hostage takers out. As soon as they were behind the vehicles, Aaron tried to direct Reid to the ambulance that was waiting. Climbing out the window, and then having to hustle away couldn't have been good on his knee. Aaron set Jack down when Reid started to fight him. "REID!"

"I have to check on my kids." Reid was fighting him even harder. Callahan stepped closer and Aaron motioned for her to stay back. He didn't think that Reid realized that he was there. Aaron pulled Reid's gun from his holster at his back and he didn't react at all. His eyes were roving over the area where SWAT had taken the kids. Trying to count. 

"Doctor Reid, I have thirteen kids with SWAT being checked over by a medic. Jack here makes fourteen," Callahan said calmly. Reid looked at her and her FBI vest and he seemed to deflate.

"You are sure, Agent?"

"Kate Callahan. I am sure. I have the Deputy Headmaster's number count and with Jack here it's everyone. Everyone in the school has been accounted for. Staff and students alike."

Reid slumped and if Aaron hadn't been holding onto him, he would have fallen. As if he'd just realized that someone was touching him, Reid looked up at him and his entire face turned into shock. He looked at Aaron like he hadn't even known he was there. "Oh!"


	10. January 2015 Part 3

Spencer realized that someone had their arm wrapped around him, holding him from the side. He also realized that he had a bullet proof vest on. It wasn't strapped on very well, but enough to protect him. He looked down at it before looking up into the face of the man who had a hold of him.

"Oh!" He exclaimed in shock as the face of Hotch stared back at him. He looked around and there was Jack. Before he could say anything, Hotch helped him sit down on the bumper of the ambulance that the other man had evidently been trying to get him to sit on before. He moved his arm that wasn't pressed into Hotch's body and pain shot down it. He looked to see a bleeding gash in his arm. He remembered the flare of pain as the shot had rung out. He hadn't even realized that he'd been shot. He felt Hotch's hand settle on his shoulder, and then his other hand grabbed the top of his sleeve. He braced himself for what he knew what was coming. Hotch ripped the sleeve of his shirt off. He was shocked, though when Hotch stumbled back from him.

"Dad, stay away from Doctor Cane!" Jack yelled. The boy set himself between Spencer and his own father. Spencer laid his good hand on Jack's shoulder. All of the kids in the school learned that he didn't like to be touched. Jack, though, had learned it, and decided that he was exempt. Spencer hadn't had the heart to tell him to stop. Hotch took another step back from them with his hands raised. He looked up from his son.

"Do you still do your best work under intense terror?" Hotch deadpanned.

Spencer was shocked when a laugh escaped his throat. He saw a medic coming towards them.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, looking between his father and Spencer.

Spencer leaned towards him and turned him to face him. "Jack, before I taught, I worked in the FBI. I was on your father's team. I left when you and your mother went into hiding, before she died. When you didn't recognize me, I chose not to tell you because I wanted a clean slate."

"He's the one who got you hooked on planes, Jack," Hotch said as he leaned over to speak low in his son's ear. Spencer heard him though. He didn't look away from Jack's face, yet he wanted to. Jack was smiling but his eyes were thoughtful. The medic stepped closer, coming up on Hotch's left side. "Doctor Reid is probably going to need stitches, and he had to run on his knee, I'd like it checked out before he is released."

Spencer looked at him and glared. Hotch looked at him for a second and then looked back at the medic who was standing there. Hotch looked at the medic for a second and then sought out the woman, Callahan who had been with him.

"Callahan, do you have this under control? I want to get Reid's witness statement as soon as possible to get Rossi all the information needed to deal with Quantico."

"What's happening in Quantico?" Spencer asked. He looked around and saw that only Hotch and Callahan were there. If anyone else had been there they would have been hovering around him. He was glad that the rest of the team wasn’t around, but something big had to have happened to cause them to be split-up. Especially with such uneven numbers.

"Nothing that you can help with. You need to get to the hospital." Hotch glared at him before looking at Jack. Spencer knew it was only a matter of time before the man used his son against him. Hotch always used the weak points when he was getting what he wanted. And it was very evident that Jack was a weak point.

"Hotch." Spencer wanted to go and see his doctor, but he was quite certain that Hotch would force him to a hospital. There was something about the way that he was acting that didn't fit with how the man had acted before. Spencer needed more information on the man before he would be able to manipulate him into leaving.

"No." Hotch looked at him and Spencer closed his mouth, that stare was all Hotch. Spencer knew he wasn't going to get what he wanted. He resigned himself to a full hospital workup. "Now Callahan, are you good here?"

"Go Hotch." Callahan smiled and turned to the HRT man. Spencer didn't recognize him, but he knew the patch on his shirt. Jack took a few steps closer to him, and Spencer wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder. Jack had yet to even start to process what had happened, and the fact that the infiltrators had been after him. Spencer was glad that he was able to make sure that none of the other kids were hurt. Jack would have taken on the guilt, even though there was nothing for him to feel guilty about. He would have seen it as his fault if any of the kids were harmed since the men had been after him.

Hotch was watching them out of the corner of his eye. The older man was stripped out of his suit jacket and had the bullet proof vest encasing his upper body. Spencer knew that he'd been doing marathons from JJ, but he hadn't realized how good he would still look. He didn't want to get caught eyeing him, so he turned his head a little as he did it. That familiar feeling in his gut started. The same as it had been in the aftermath of the anthrax case. Years separated them, but he was still someone that Spencer wanted. He didn't want to feel that though. He didn't want to feel the urge to be with Hotch again. He didn't want that in his life, but the heart always wants what it wants.

The medic moved away and started into the back of the ambulance. "Let's get you strapped in, Doctor Reid."

Spencer nodded and let go of Jack to climb into the back. Once he was strapped into the gurney, Hotch lifted Jack up and he scrambled in after him. The medic looked at Hotch and laughed a little. Obviously, it was someone that Hotch knew.

"If it wasn't for the fact that I think that your son will be a good deterrent to Doctor Reid trying to fight treatment, I'd have him and you coming seperate, but Agent Hotchner, agitate Doctor Reid and I'll knock you out myself." The medic looked serious and Spencer was sure that he had what was needed to do that.

Hotch nodded and Spencer kept his laugh to himself. Jack was smiling though. The medic leaned over and opened a drawer before handing Jack a sucker. Jack thanked him and popped the sucker in his mouth after taking off the wrapper. Spencer subjected himself to his wound getting cleaned a little bit. Just enough to see exactly how much damage was done. He held on as the ambulance took a turn into what seemed liked the local hospital. He knew it wasn't far.

Spencer held on tight to the gurney as he was wheeled into the ER. He was shuffled to a different bed as he was mobile. Hotch kept a hand on Jack's shoulder as a nurse came over to Spencer. "Can I have paper and pen?"

"Sure. I'll get it and then work on cleaning out the wound more. Do you have any allergies?"

"Beta lactams and I prefer to not be given narcotics."

"Okay. I'll make a note in your chart." The nurse wandered away. She came back with his chart and a pad of paper with a pen. He started to write out his statement while the nurse debrided his wound and got it ready for stitching. He tried to focus on his statement, letting his mind block out the pain. He wrote down every word that the hostage takers had said. Every event from the moment that the last class started until he looked up at Hotch. He only registered that the nurse had finished when the doctor walked up.

"Doctor Reid, yes?" The doctor extended his hand and Spencer slipped the pen between his legs to shake his hand. "And who is this?"

"One of my students, Jack. And his father Agent Hotchner." Spencer picked up the pen again and started to write. "Go ahead and stitch me up."

Spencer worked on the statement as the doctor injected a local and then stitched him up. When the doctor finished, Spencer was done with his statement. The doctor said something about getting his discharge papers then moved away. Spencer handed over the pad and the pen to Hotch. Jack was still standing beside him, but he was fidgeting. Hotch picked him up and set him down beside Spencer on the gurney and then handed him a magazine. Spencer saw that it was Sports Illustrated for Kids. Jack found a section that looked like it was about soccer.

Hotch asked him a few questions before his phone rang. "Excuse me," Hotch said as he walked away. The look on Hotch's face as he answered it told Spencer that it was Rossi on the other end. He hoped that Hotch kept his mouth shut about him being there. He didn't need Morgan and Rossi descending on him. Or Garcia. He especially didn't want her there.

"Why didn't you tell me that you knew me?" Jack asked as he closed-up the magazine and looked up at him. Spencer sighed and looked at Hotch for a second before turning to face Jack more. He'd lied by omission once, he wasn't going to lie anymore to Jack.

"I was a different person then Jack. Before this." Spencer waved at his leg. "When I looked up and saw you when you first came to my classroom, there was no way that you weren't your father's son. Being an FBI Agent was a different part of my life. I don't talk about it at the school."

"But I'm me and we are alone in class for over an hour each day."

"I didn't have a lot of family growing up Jack, and I thought that the team was my family, but some things happened, and I realized that my family wasn't as large as I thought. I learned at a young age with my family that you couldn't count on them and well...I relearned that when my knee was injured, and it wasn't a burden I wanted to place on you. It was better to keep it all inside and not let it taint my teaching of you. You didn't need to pay for the faults done to me by anyone else. So that morning started a clean slate for both of us."

"I don't...I don't understand all of what you said, but I can tell that you are sad." Jack leaned into him and Spencer wrapped his good arm around him. The doctor came back and he looked at him.

"Is there anything else?"

"I..." Spencer looked at Hotch, hating to admit that he had hurt himself. His knee was aching, and he knew it needed to be looked at. "I twisted my knee when I was running from the school." Hotch only gave him a smile that told Spencer he had already figured that out.

Hotch pulled the phone down from his ear and covered the receiver slot with his finger. "Reid, I need to talk to Dave. I'm going to step outside. Can you keep an eye on Jack?"

Spencer nodded, but before he could say anything, Hotch was moving out the double bay doors where they had come in.

"A nurse can stay with young Jack outside the X-Ray room while you are being checked over," the doctor said as he helped Jack down off the gurney, and then had him walking beside while Spencer was wheeled into the X-Ray room.

Half an hour later, Spencer had his diagnosis on the knee. Thankfully, he hadn't done more damage to it, but he had sprained it. He was going to be on crutches for a few days and on light duty. He'd have to wait until he got home to contact the Deputy Headmaster to figure out exactly what was going on with the school. He figured that the school would be closed the rest of the week. His cellphone was in pieces in his classroom. The FBI was going to do clean up, but he wanted to clean the room himself as well. He had a lot that he needed to do and first he needed to get a cellphone.

Spencer was sitting on the gurney with a generic scrub top on his chest and his slacks back on. His knee had been wrapped, and he'd been given a muscle relaxant to take for a few nights. This he was used to. This was normal. Spencer had already signed his discharge papers, he was just waiting on Hotch to come and collect Jack. The ER wasn't full at the moment, but it was braced for the fallout of whatever was happening elsewhere in Quantico. He had thought that he'd be more worried about what was happening, but he wasn't. They were in Dumfries, which was far enough from Quantico that he felt safe..

"Reid," Hotch said as he came close again. He had a worried look on his face. "Jessica is in DC and the road to here is on lockdown. I have to go and help the team. I know that I have no right to ask this..."

"As long as you drop us off at my house, I will gladly watch him until the case is over, or Jessica can pick him up." Spencer wasn't going to let Jack be watched by someone else. The hostage takers had already tried to get a hold of him, and Hotch knew it. Even though he was being asked to watch Jack, he was certain that there would be a guard outside his house. He was more than willing to take it. "As you know my cell is broken. I'll give you my house phone number."

"Good. That's good."

Spencer took the phone when it was handed over, and found his contact information saved from before, and updated it include to his new house number. Without Hotch noticing he found the messaging app and opened it. Finding that Hotch's message of sorry was still in there, he wasn't sure what to think about that. He wasn't sure what to think about any of it.


	11. January 2015 Part 4

Aaron stepped up onto the porch of Reid's large but simple house. It was a single story house with a basement, Aaron could see lights on in the basement front section. Aaron really hoped that Reid wasn't down there with his knee. He knocked and turned to the agent that had been posted out front. The man had said that the house had been quiet and that Reid had brought him out coffee, a sandwich, and chips a few hours before.

"Hotch," Reid said as he stepped out onto the porch, pulling the door mostly shut. He set down what looked like a baby monitor on a stand by the door. "Jack is in the basement in Henry's playroom. He wouldn't go to sleep until he saw you."

"Thank you." Aaron smiled at him and he hoped that his gratitude was written all over his face. It had been so long since he'd needed to show emotions like that. "The situation is under control. They wanted Jack as a bargaining tool. It was a small cell of homegrown terrorists. They wanted their friend out of prison who I had put in there and kept in there the past decade. It was a case right before you joined the unit. He was up for parole six months ago, and when I spoke at it, he was denied. They were hoping that the attack on Quantico would have me going there while they got Jack out of the school. They didn't do enough looking into the staff and weren't expecting you."

"I'm glad I was there." Reid smiled at him but Aaron knew that there was a reason that Spencer wasn't allowing him into the house. He didn't press to enter. It was cold out, but the wind had died down some. He shivered a little. "I'll get Jack and get him dressed. The Deputy Headmaster dropped his things off to me."

"I was hoping we could talk." Aaron watched Reid's face and there was nothing there. His poker face was firmly in place. It was like Reid was talking to an UnSub and not him.

"We have nothing to talk about," Reid said turning back to his door.

Aaron knew that if he let him go now, he'd never get a chance again. After this all of their interactions would revolve around New Haven. Reid would have the ability to throw him out and ignore him. He couldn't let his opportunity pass him by.

"We have a lot to talk about," Aaron said as he reached out and grabbed Reid's shoulder. Stopping him from leaving. He made sure to not grab his hurt shoulder, or to not jerk him so that he hurt his leg. He noticed that Reid wasn't using the crutches that the doctor had given him but was using his cane. He wasn't shocked by that at all.

"Let the past stay in the past, Hotch." Reid's voice was strange and Aaron stepped up closer to him. He could feel the tension in Reid's body, but also could feel how much he relaxed at his touch. He was a mess of dichotomy.

"Jack's not an idiot and you know it, Reid. You probably know it better than most. He's going to notice the tension and he's going to ask. Are you going to lie to him? Do you want me to lie to him?"

"No." Reid hung his head down and sighed. "I was happy."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that my life has messed yours up. I had no clue that I was being targeted."

"I was happy at the school. Before Jack. Or I thought that I was. I realized on the first day of the school that I was just content. I can't do this, Hotch. I can't go back there. I can't start to depend on anyone just to be let down." Reid sounded tired and Aaron could understand that.

"We still have to talk. You know the past haunts. Everyone in the BAU knows that. Can you tell me you can move on without talking about it?" Aaron squeezed his shoulder and he felt more than saw Reid shake his head.

"Jack's more than entertained down there. Books, TV, games, toys."

"I'd adore some of your coffee. We can move over to the enclosed area and have a seat and talk." Aaron knew that he wasn't going to be allowed in even to talk. Spencer's house was his territory and Aaron was more than happy to not invade it, this time.

"I'll be right back," Reid said and then moved into the house. The door was left slightly ajar. Once he saw Reid go into the kitchen through the sliver of door, he moved towards the enclosed area. The door was open and it wasn't until he got into it that he saw the heater. He kicked it on and sat down in the chair farthest from the heater, giving Reid the one closest. He could tell that it was the one that Reid sat in the most. It also faced the rising sun. This is where Reid relaxed in the mornings. He'd bought a house instead of renting in Dumfries. He was settled here.

Being allowed in the house would give Aaron a chance to profile it. It also allowed an alpha male in his territory which would tell him that he was allowed back. Aaron relaxed back into the chair, trying to make himself small. Reid was strong, but after a day like today, he would be vulnerable. He would be on edge from the damage that could have been done to his students. Reid had stayed strong and protected them. He'd directed a deaf student and her best friend into making smoke bombs without the hostage takers knowing that they were even there. It had been a sloppy job from the start. More emotion than planning. But if Reid hadn't been there...It could have been devastating.

"How did they get into the school?" Reid asked as he appeared with a tray in his free hand. Aaron didn't jump up to help him, he stayed seated. He knew what he would be allowed to get away with. He was sure that it hadn't changed over the years.

"Recruitment. Brainwashing of sorts. The three guards who allowed them in were unaware of the true reason for the hostage situation. The three guards were found dead in the boiler room of the school."

"That's disturbing." Reid set the tray down on a table. There were two full cups as well as a carafe. Hotch's cup was undoctored while Reid's was pale. Reid sat down carefully, using his cane to pull over a stool to prop his bad leg on. Aaron waited for him to get settled before he reached for his own cup of coffee. Reid grabbed his once Aaron had sat all the way back.

"Yes. I figure that the school will be closed for a few days to get everything taken care of and start the process to hire more security."

"Will Jessica be able to watch Jack?" Reid looked apprehensive.

"I'm sure that she will be able to. If not I have a neighbor who can watch him throughout the day. He doesn't like her as much as Jessica but he goes to her place without fighting me." Aaron knew that Jack didn't like to go to her, but it was either it or daycare, and he didn't want to go to daycare. "Reid, I want to explain my side of what happened years ago. I'm not going to beg for forgiveness but I want explain. Can you let me do that and not interrupt me?"

Reid took a drink of his coffee and waved his hand at him.

"I woke up angry and upset that I had let Foyet get the drop on me. I was upset that I'd not been there for the case, and I felt horrible that Haley and Jack had to go into hiding. Then you didn't come by. All I could see was that when I needed you, you weren't there. Prentiss was telling me that it was just a flesh wound and no one else was offering another explanation. If it was a flesh wound why were you staying away? Had you looked at what getting with me would mean, the baggage I was bringing and decided that it wasn't what you wanted? Then I came back from leave and you were gone, just gone. The team tried to get a hold of you but nothing. I wasn't aware that JJ was lying at the time. You'd left all of us. King of Abandonment Issues had left us first. I thought that you couldn't hack it. You'd heard what happened to me, then got shot and decided that it was too much. I painted you a coward, and I let my own anger rule what I'd done. Then Haley died and I started to blame you. If you had been there I could have saved her. I could have saved her for Jack. When I saw you at the funeral on crutches my whole world shifted in that moment. I saw the truth of myself and then JJ rocked my world even more with the truth of what happened. It took a long time for the team to trust each other again, much less ourselves. Then JJ left for the state department. Prentiss' death. I just pushed more and more away. I dated a woman but it fizzled."

"Beth. JJ told me about her. She didn't say that you two had broken up." Reid was looking at his cup, hadn't looked up at all. If one didn't know Reid, they would think it was a sign of grief or apathy, but Aaron knew he was thinking. He was processing and taking it all in.

"The thought that you'd been alone to face what I knew, later, was an injury that would have put you behind a desk, I was ashamed of myself and the team. You had Will. A man that, while you knew him, at the time were more attached to JJ. You ran and I can't fault you for it, but I want to understand why." Aaron leaned forward, clasping the mug between his hands and resting his arms on his knees. "Why did you have JJ keep her mouth shut?"

"I didn't want anyone knowing anything. You say that they said flesh wound. No one had seen me since I'd been shot. How did they know what was wrong with me? I only knew what JJ had told Will, and she kept most of it quiet until after Haley and Jack were in Witness Protection. I knew that you'd been hurt, but at no point did anyone even ask about me. JJ said that no one was asking her, so she thought that someone else was talking to me. We were too close to see how badly we messed up, until much later. All I knew was that I was alone. When I figured out the whole truth of it all, I thought about calling you, but I needed to take care of me." Reid sighed and leaned back in his chair, tilting his head up to look at the ceiling of the porch. "No one on the team except for JJ has ever asked me about my childhood after dad left. What happened? No one. Because it's normal for a father to leave a schizophrenic woman alone with a ten year old kid, and for everything to be happy and wonderful." Reid looked at him. Rolling his head to the side but never lifting it.

"I assumed that an aunt or uncle helped. Or grandparents." Aaron hated that he'd never asked. It hadn't even crossed his mind seeing Reid's mother. He'd known something was up after helping him through his withdrawal. The words he'd said. But he'd ignored it. He looked down into his cup of coffee, worried about what was going to come out of Reid's mouth next.

"Mom's parents died before I was born. A car accident not long after mom married dad. Dad's parents died when I was three. When dad left mom and I, his family left as well. There was no one to help me. Mom had no siblings and and dad's siblings never cared. Not one of the Reids ever liked mom. I was alone. I went to Cal-Tech because a neighbor checked in on mom. She knew that if I went into the system, I'd never survive and have a future. She helped as much as she could, but she was getting older as well. I put my mom into Bennington and there was no support. I was abandoned once by family.

“I sat in that hospital bed and I looked at my life. I realized that I needed to take care of me. I'd sacrificed for mom, and I will never regret that but if I had stayed, even just to stay in office and do consults and help on cases, I would have been doing it for someone other than me. I cut out everything from my life that I didn't need, and that included the man who couldn't even ask why a man who said he loved him never even asked about him. I couldn't. I didn't know how to get a hold of you, and it wasn't until long after that I figured how tight of a hold Prentiss has on your safety. The only thing that kept me out of your hospital room was that if I had left mine, I could have damaged my knee more. I tried to call your cell, but it went unanswered. You were in under an assumed name, and even Prentiss wasn't answering me on you the last time I talked to her before I was taken to the hospital in McLean. I didn't know that you didn't know that I was in the hospital too. I was cut off from everyone and no one was answering me. Was I supposed to beg?"

"No." Aaron knew that he was right. He could understand JJ a little better as well. Her willingness to do what Reid wanted. She'd trusted that the team was doing what they should have been doing while she was doing what she was supposed to be doing. It wasn't any wonder that when she came back she wanted to be a profiler. In the thick of things, not to be relegated to the sides anymore. "There were so many screw-ups in the aftermath of that. I'm sorry that you were pushed to the side, and I can understand going away so that you could save your own mental health."

"I'm not ready for the team to crash into my life, Hotch. I'm happy right now. I teach, and I read, and I do what I want. I don't want the horribleness of that in my life. You crashing it is enough." Reid's words were harsh but he didn't say that he didn't want Aaron in his life. He hadn't shut that door yet. Aaron felt hope swell in his chest for the first time in a very long time.

"Yet, you haven't demanded that I leave." Aaron set his cup of coffee down and scooted closer to Reid. He laid his hand on his good knee, familiar yet could be innocent or intimate. Reid didn't react at all. Aaron took it as a good sign.

"I don't know why," Reid said as he turned his head away again. Aaron moved to prop his knee on the edge of Reid's chair and leaned over him. Reid looked up at him with a frown on his face.

"Inviting me and Jack into your life isn't going to bring the rest of the team into it. I won't tell them, and Jack has been calling you Doctor Cane. Hell, even I thought that Cane was a last name." Aaron took the cup from the younger man and then cupped the side of his face. He felt Reid's heart rate pick up. Aaron didn't look a gift horse in the mouth and leaned down. Reid's eyes fluttered closed and Aaron took it as permission. He pressed his lips to Reid's and waited. Reid's hands came up slowly, starting at Aaron’s arms and moving up. The heat from the cup was still on the palms of Reid's hands, so when they touched his neck, he shivered. Reid was the first to open his mouth, inviting in Aaron's tongue. The kiss was what it was. A soft exploration. A test to see how they were together. Aaron thought that it would be arousing but it wasn't. He pulled back before he was ready, but he could feel Reid's body getting tenser.

"I don't think that I am ready for that either," Reid whispered. He swallowed harshly. "Not yet."

"But you aren't saying that you don't want it." Aaron kissed his cheek before pulling back enough to be able to see his whole face. It wasn't a yes but it wasn't a no either. "I don't want more than you are willing to give, Reid."

"I don't know what I am willing to give."

"You know my number. It's well past Jack's bedtime. I need to get going. I am going to have a lot of paperwork to fill out over the next few days. Jack will see you when school starts again. If you don't call me before that."

Aaron righted himself and only held out a hand for Reid to use to right himself, and offered nothing else. Within ten minutes, Aaron was buckling a very tired Jack into the backseat of the car and they were leaving. Reid stood on the porch watching them leave. Aaron really hoped that wasn't going to be the last time that he saw the younger man outside of New Haven.


	12. January 2015 Part 5

Spencer slipped his dishes into the sink where he had the water still in there from washing the dishes to make his dinner. He'd let the pan soak while his leftovers cooled. He'd be able to take two meals for his lunch that week. One of them was going to be Jack's probably. The boy liked to eat lunch with him on Fridays, so Spencer always made sure to take enough for him. The school had only been closed for a week after the invasion. It had been hard for everyone that first day back. The worst had been when the final class of the day happened. So instead of actually having class, Spencer and the kids had discussed the entirety of what happened. All of the kids were seeing the school psychologist, and Jack had gone in for a visit with his personal psychologist. She was the same one that had helped him in the aftermath of his mother's death. Spencer discussed with them exactly how what happened did happen, and how it would never happen again. Thankfully, none of the kids blamed Jack, they had been more worried about him. A few of the kids were having nightmares about the shooting, but thankfully the smoke had stopped them from seeing the blood and bullet hole in the man's head. It was why he had chosen to teach the girls how to make a lot of smoke with things that he had in his desk drawer. Thankfully, Eliana and Deanna were very smart and followed his directions to the letter.

Jack had been a surprise, popping the clip of the gun. He hadn't been that shocked, though, once he'd thought about it. Jack was around guns on a regular basis. How to get the clip out, and how to flick the safety on were very good lessons. Spencer wouldn't be shocked if he knew how to eject the bullet in the chamber as well, but didn't have the strength to do it yet. One bullet in a gun was safer than a full clip. Most of the kids in the school knew the basics of what to do when kidnapped. Many of them faced it on a daily basis. As long as he stayed calm, the kids would.

Spencer was staring out the window that looked into his backyard when he heard a knock on his front door. He was shocked because it was fairly late. He'd been working on a project for the students in his senior science class and he'd lost track of time. He had plenty of casseroles in the freezer that he just had to pop into the oven. He moved to the window in the front room and looked out. It was dark, but the streetlight was shining just enough for him to see the car parked on the street. Whoever it was had decided not to park in the driveway. After two more seconds of looking, he recognized it. Hotch's car. He looked at his phone as he moved towards the door and found no missed calls or texts. Hotch had taken to texting him when he was dropping off Jack at school. The older man didn't let Jack out of the car until Spencer opened the main door of the school. It was the only contact they'd had since that day. Spencer still hadn't figured out what he wanted. If he wanted to invite him into his life more.

Jack couldn't be the only reason that he did it. Wanting a family couldn't be the only reason as well. He'd gone on dates over the years, but even on second and third dates, none of them felt like Hotch had that night. The feel of Hotch's lips on his own had felt better than anything had in a long time. At the crux of it all he knew that he was scared. He'd depended on Hotch once and it had backfired. It hadn't been either of their faults, the universe had decided to mess with them.

The knock sounded again and Spencer could just feel in the bottom of his belly that something was wrong. Something had gone wrong. Hotch was a man of his word and he'd said he'd leave it in Spencer's court. He wouldn't be here unless he felt that he needed to be. Spencer moved to the door and opened it.

"Hotch?" Spencer asked.

"Can I come in?" Hotch asked, looking up at him. He'd been looking at his hands. Spencer backed up allowing the older man to come in.

"Did something happen? Is Jack okay?" Spencer shut the door as Hotch cleared it. The older man wasn't turning around. His eyes were on a chessboard. He walked to it, touching the white rook that was in the middle. His hand went to the letter on the side of the table the chessboard was sitting on. His fingers brushing the words.

"Jack's fine." Hotch picked up the letter and then looked down at the board. He touched the black king next. "Jack's at home with Jessica."

Spencer didn't know what to think when Hotch tipped the black king over. That game was nowhere near done. They were only twenty moves into it. The letter. Hotch had to know the writing. The look on Hotch's face told him more than anything. It was his bad news delivering face. He'd seen it every single time that Hotch told a family that someone was dead or taken.

"Hotch?" Spencer asked. He could feel his stomach clenching. He started to feel sick. That couldn't mean what he thought it meant. Did it? Spencer stumbled, unable to get his feet under him. His vision whited out and then he was being held. Arms held him up and he curled into the body. A hand wrapped around his waist and then one buried itself in his hair. Hotch was the only thing holding him up. He let himself go in that moment and Hotch's hands tightened even more on his body. He wasn't crying, but he couldn't breathe. He scrabbled at Hotch's back to try and secure himself there.

"Shush. I've got you, Reid. I've got you." Hotch's voice was firm and it was only then that Spencer realized that he was gasping for breath.

"No. Tell me I'm wrong," Spencer begged.

"I can't." Hotch lifted him up. Spencer didn't even try and fight him. He held on tight as he was gently manhandled to the living room. He expected to be deposited on the couch but instead, Hotch turned them and sat down so that Spencer was in his lap. Head tucked under his own. There was no pressure on his bad leg. He felt a child in their father's lap, but he didn't want to move. "Breathe."

"Can't," Spencer said. He tried to exhale but nothing was coming out. Hotch pulled his head in tighter. It brought his nose right into the area where Hotch's tie should have been. He looked and could see skin. Not only had the man taken his tie off, he'd unbuttoned several buttons. When Spencer finally was able to exhale, it meant he had to inhale and he did, hard. All he could smell was Hotch. The faint smell of his cologne along with the smell of the outdoors. He'd been to Gideon's cabin. He'd never got a hint of suicidal tendencies in his letters from the man. He tried to look up but Hotch's hand kept him where he was.

"An UnSub that Dave and he tried to catch back in 1978 started again. Gideon saw it in a paper and rushed home. The UnSub shot him from far away with a rifle in his dominant arm, and then came into the house and shot him two more times. He was able to give us clues, though, on who killed him and we found him. We found the UnSub, Reid." Hotch's voice was low and steady, but it was driving Spencer crazy. How could he be calm and collected? Spencer had only just reconnected with Gideon a year ago. Spencer fought against the hand holding his head to Hotch's chest. He looked into Hotch's eyes, only to see calm. He wanted something more. Gideon had been the first of the team that he had reached out to. "Dave killed him."

Spencer didn't know what possessed him to do it but he shifted on Hotch's lap to straddle it instead of laying over it. He grabbed the older man's head and held him still, kissing him. Trying to get any reaction out of him. There was no feeling in him at the moment. He wanted to feel something and Hotch could make him feel anything. He wanted to feel alive, and this was the only way he knew how. He clung to him,and he knew it was only shock that had Hotch's mouth opening up. Hotch's hands gripped his upper arms, trying to pull him away, but he fought it. He knew that Hotch wouldn't hurt him, wouldn't throw him off because it would hurt his knee. He needed to only get Hotch's brain to get with the program and it would all be fine.

Thrusting down into Hotch's lap, Spencer moaned. Hotch started to kiss back, his hands gliding down to Spencer's waist, moving to cradle his ass, to bring him closer. Spencer relaxed his hands, moving one to Hotch's throat to tip his head up just a little farther. He started to feel something. More than just emptiness. It wasn't until he was gently shifted to a new position that he realized that he was crying. He could taste the salt in their kisses. He took a breath and let out a sob. Hotch moved them again and Spencer found himself lying on Hotch's chest while the man was lying down on the couch, their legs tangled but his bad one was sheltered, unhurt, protected. He wrenched his lips away from Hotch's, burying his face in Hotch's neck, he let the sobs out. He couldn't even seduce Hotch into helping him drive the pain away. It was like the floodgates had been opened and everything that he had been ignoring for over five years came flooding into him.

"Let it out, Reid. I've got you."

Spencer was sobbing into his shoulder before he knew it. It was an extreme reaction, but he needed it. He needed to let it all out. He didn't know how long he laid on his former boss crying but he didn't care. He cried until he couldn't cry any more and then promptly passed out.

Waking up in a strange place was a weird feeling for Spencer. He was used to falling asleep on his couch, and he was used to falling asleep outside in summer, but this wasn't either place. It wasn't until what he was sleeping on moved that he realized he was still asleep on Hotch. He lifted his head up and looked to find Hotch staring at him. His glasses weren't on his face but he could see the other man's face well enough.

"Even if I am asleep on you that's still creepy," Spencer muttered. He couldn't look away from Hotch's face, even if he wanted to. There was so much emotion there. So much that he wasn't ready for. He still didn't know what he wanted, even after his horrible display before finally breaking down.

"That was more than just mourning Gideon. What's up, Reid? You cried for an hour before you fell asleep." Hotch's hand that was rest on his back started to move. Just a gentle caress of his spine through his shirt. Fingertips rubbing as they moved down his back, turning to a light scratch as they came back up. Even though he seemed to have napped, he was still tired.

"It took three years before I was declared as good as I was going to get. I had several surgeries each with it's own recovery time and whatnot. I had to be strong. I couldn't not be. If I had been anything less than a steel rod, I would have broke, and I'd probably be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life." Spencer didn't know if he wanted to go on, but he knew that he had to. Hotch had to understand everything. "I couldn't be weak. I never grieved properly for the loss of the team. I couldn't. I locked it all down inside,and even when Prentiss died, I had to be strong. I was just out of another surgery and shouldn't have been there, but I knew I needed to go."

"You were there? I didn't see you."

"I was hiding in a group of other agents from Interpol. JJ knew I was there and helped to deflect any eyes from me. I wouldn't have just not gone, Hotch."

"I looked for you to be on the edges like you were at Haley's funeral. Not right there in the middle."

"Even after, once I was as fixed as I was going to be, I never gave in." Spencer brought his hand up and settled it on Hotch's chest, picking at the top button that was buttoned. "Thank you."

"I knew what you were doing, and I knew that you wouldn’t go through with it. I felt that it was better to let yourself fizzle out than to force you to see what was happening. Stephen hasn't told me when the funeral is. I'll text you when I find out."

"I'll let the Deputy know. The Headmistress is almost ready to be released, and she'll be back in a few weeks. That bullet did a lot of damage. We are preparing a welcome back party for lunchtime on the day she gets back. The cooks are already ordering in the necessary food items that have a long shelf life." Spencer was done discussing himself. He wanted away from emotions that made him feel in ways that he hadn't in a long time. Including how he felt about the man underneath of him. Hotch's sigh told Spencer that he was allowing the change of topic, even if he didn't like it.

"That's good. If the school needs anything to help set up something better let me know. Especially when it comes to security."

"The Deputy has already sent out feelers to a few people. Our digital security is the best in the country. I was told that Garcia tried to get in after it was all back up and running, and she was unable to. The Deputy was very happy about that. The DOJ is doing a very thorough check on remaining staff. They also wanted to give me a medal in some kind of ceremony. I told them I wouldn't come. So they are going to have the Headmistress give it to me in front of the school. That's going to be embarrassing enough. I'm sure Jack will tell you all about it in a few weeks."

"You got your kids out, Reid. You did so with minimal harm to yourself and no injuries to the kids besides a few scrapes when they were getting out. You took out two hostage takers, and used a deaf kid to make a smoke bomb without said hostage takers knowing you were signing to them. If you didn't get something, I'd be upset."

Spencer buried his head in Hotch's neck, not wanting the man to see his face as it turned red in embarrassment. He'd just done what he needed to. What was needed of him to get the kids out alive.

"And the fact that you don't want the medal means that you deserve it even more." Hotch's fingers stopped in their maddening up and down trail on his back and moved up to his head. He felt the other wrapping around his back and he was hugged. "You protected Jack, Spencer, and you don't understand how much I can never thank you enough for that."

Spencer didn't know what to say to that so he left his head where it was. The smell of nature was fading from Hotch's body. In fact, all Spencer could smell was his cologne and the earthy scent that he'd always equated with him. He burrowed in closer to smell more of it and before he knew it he was asleep again.


	13. January 2015 Part 6

"He can't even come to Gideon's funeral?" Morgan near screamed. Aaron looked at him and saw that Morgan was looking right at JJ. Even if the out of the blue question wasn't pointed enough, Aaron would know who he was talking about with that alone. "Did you even tell him that he was dead?"

Will was right there, stepping up behind his wife, but JJ put her hand on his chest, motioning for him to go away.

"I told him when the funeral was and that's where I left it. His relationship with Gideon was his own. He will mourn in his own way." JJ was livid and Aaron knew it, but he didn't want to reveal Spencer in this way now. He knew that he was there somewhere. He hadn't looked for him though, not wanting for anyone on the team to spot him as well. Callahan had kept the revelation of who had done the shooting of the hostage takers a secret, before Aaron had even asked her to. She referred to him as Doctor Caine in the reports, and that was what the DOJ had asked him to use as well in all his own reports that weren't on hardcopy at the top of the chain, those files were eyes only and the only place that the name Spencer Reid was on file. That made Aaron think that a lot more was going on at the school than what Spencer talked about. There was something for the government going on, and he knew that if it was something that Aaron would have an issue with, Spencer would make sure he knew.

"He's not here. He wasn't for Prentiss's either!" Morgan yelled.

Lewis and Callahan gave Aaron a small nod, and then they walked away. They knew that this was something that was personal to the rest of the team.

"I've never been so disappointed in someone as much as I am Reid. He's not even tried to contact us. He just ran away and hid. He's done even worse than Gideon because none of us expected more from him!"

"Did you ever think that he stayed away because I've told him to?" JJ stepped up to him and looked into the enraged man's eyes. "I'm not going to subject him to any of this. He was at Prentiss's funeral. He was there to help me in the aftermath of it. He was there for me in ways that no one else on this team was. Because I wasn't on the team. I know that all of your went to a bar afterwards and I wasn't invited. We were the two on the outside. He stood at Emily's grave until the sun went down. He regrets that he wasn't able to make up with her before her death, but that's his regret."

"So now he gets to regret another person who he wasn't able to make up with."

The laughter from JJ was startling, but Aaron knew where it came from. There were tears in her eyes and she looked ready to kill Morgan, but she was laughing.

"Spence and Gideon started to write to each other. Spencer figured that he was at the cabin and mailed him a letter. He got Gideon's last letter the day after his death. He'd mailed Spencer about the case. Mailed him everything he could remember about the case and how he would have to go about finding him. He dropped it in the post office the moment he hit town. So don't you even fucking tell me that Spencer doesn't care."

"Funerals are for closure," Dave said as he stepped up to Morgan and laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's for us to say goodbye. Reid and Gideon's relationship was rocky given everything, but it's up to Reid to figure out the best way to say goodbye to him. You want Reid here because you want closure. Let it go, Morgan."

Morgan looked at Dave, and then at Garcia, and then finally Aaron before he turned and left. Garcia looked at Aaron next and he nodded. She followed after him. JJ was standing, looking at the grave. Dave brushed his hand on Aaron's shoulder as he passed, going to his own car. Aaron stepped up behind JJ, not knowing if it was okay to touch her. Will was off to the side, enough to make it seem like he hadn't heard every single word when he had.

"He didn't tell me that he got that letter," Aaron said.

JJ sniffed and then laughed. "He was surprised when he opened his mailbox and found it. He was supposed to hand deliver it to you if he died. I think he knew. I know that their letters were long and rocky in the beginning, but I have to say that I think Spence talked about you and Jack more than he should have."

"Gideon knew Reid a lot better than some of us in the beginning. His own mind worked so much like Reid's that it wasn't any wonder that they connected. Gideon leaving hurt a lot more than what Reid wanted us to think."

"His father only left a letter. Spence came home from school and found it. His mother had already read it. Gideon never knew that. Him leaving a letter like that wasn't a jag. He just didn't know. I only found out yesterday. Even now he keeps so much hidden." JJ turned around and looked him in the eye. "Take care of him, Hotch. He's still so fragile on reaching out, and if you hurt him, he'll leave and I don't know if I'll ever hear from him again."

"I know. I don't plan on hurting him. I'm letting him set the pace for everything, and that includes talking to anyone else on the team. Jack adores calling him Doctor Cane in front of everyone. He and Dave had a ten minute conversation about soccer physics with him being dropped in every chance he could. Jack sees this as an undercover mission. That Spencer is undercover and it's his job to protect him."

"That's adorable." JJ leaned over into him and he wrapped his arms around her. "I mean I know that Jack likes him. Spence talks about him a lot around me and Will, and knowing that Jack likes him that much. It's good for him."

"Yes, mornings that Jack goes to school early, which is nine out of ten, he's talked Spencer into teaching him sign language. Which has now turned into me getting a book on it so that I can learn some."

"Why don't you ask Spence for lessons?"

"I don't think he's ready for that much one on one time."

"You might have to force the issue Hotch. He'll hide for as long as he can. Going over every single angle. We always forgot that he has a scientific mind. He'll run scenarios until the end of time."

"I know." Aaron did know that. Deep down Spencer was scared. He knew that. "Where is he?"

"He watched from far away. When Will and I make sure the rest of the team is gone, he'll come over. Did you want to stay?"

"Does he want me to?" Aaron wasn't going to stay if Spencer didn't want him to.

"I'll ask." JJ kissed his cheek and walked away.

Aaron reorientated himself to Gideon's grave. It was still open and would be until all the mourners left. He stood there for several minutes before he looked around where JJ and Will have moved off to. They were nowhere in sight. He was turning to look behind when he heard soft footfalls. Then the thud of a cane. He smiled. Spencer tucked himself into Aaron's side, sheltered under his arm.

The younger man stood there for several minutes before he moved up to the edge of the grave. Aaron watched him as he dropped the black king on top of Gideon's casket. Aaron remembered the chess set. It had been very expensive. But then Spencer could play a chess game against himself using nothing. Aaron stayed where he was. He watched as Spencer said goodbye to an old friend.

"I'm going to visit mom for a day. I fly out in a little while and I'll be back for school on Monday to watch Jack." Spencer turned around and smiled at him. "Do you think you could drop me off at the airport? I took a cab here and I can call one but-."

"No. I can take you. Do you have time for a meal?" It was a reach out, an olive branch and Aaron wasn't going to turn it down.

"I'm not..." Spencer looked really unsure.

"I need to grab Jack, and he'll be hungry. We can stop at McDonald's and get some drive thru food. It doesn't have to be any more than that." Aaron hoped that Spencer knew it was just wanting to take care of him. He looked tired and worn out. "Pacify me and let me see you eat something before you fly to Vegas."

Spencer ducked his head a little and nodded. "Okay. I'll consent to a meal at a drive thru. I've got a lot of time. And I have a new device that I think you'll laugh at."

"Really?" Aaron started towards his car, going slow so that Spencer could catch up. The younger man kept a good pace with him, his knee was healing well. "Who's teaching your afternoon classes?"

"No one. I have it set up for self paced on the days I miss. Even Jack's class is going to be teaching itself. One of the other teacher's is watching them, but they are teaching themselves. It helps them enjoy science a little and makes it easy on the subs." Spencer laughed. "I had a class my first year where my juniors staged a rebellion against a substitute because she wasn't following my notes. I was out for three days due to a minor surgery on my knee. After that I figured out a way to make sure that it never happened again."

"That sounds like something that I could see your students doing."

"The senior class has a prank war going with my physics class VS one of the mathematics classes. We are winning. It's school sanctioned."

"This is a feeder school for the branches isn't it?"

"I can neither confirm or deny that statement, Agent Hotchner." Spencer had a smirk on his face. Aaron found it adorable and as they stopped at the car, Aaron opened Spencer's door and as the genius moved to get into the passenger seat car, Aaron kissed his cheek. Spencer just stared at him as he crossed around the front of the car to get in. Nothing was said about the kiss, but Spencer wasn't freaking out. That was a good thing.


	14. February 2015 Part 1

Spencer hoped that February was a better month than January. He looked at the heads of his younger students and smiled. While running a drill still scared them, they were doing a lot better. The kids were split into groups of twos and threes working on a diorama. He was at his desk working on grading tests from the class before. It was the third day of the project for the younger students and Spencer had made the most of giving them class time to work on it.

The Deputy Headmaster entering his room had the kids and Spencer looking up at him. He nodded out into the hall. Spencer nodded back.

"I'll be in the hall. Grown up talk, that doesn't mean anything is wrong. Just school stuff, I promise." Spencer stood up from the desk and looked for his cane. Deanna ran over to him with it. He smiled at her. "Left it at your table?"

"Yes, Doctor Cane." Deanna ran back to the table where Eliana and Jack were. Jack had been pairing up with them more and more. It was good for Eliana and for Jack it meant that he got to practice his signing and having Deanna help him.

Spencer shut the door and kept an eye on his kids.

"Agent Hotchner just called. He is on a case and he didn't go into it, but Jessica is unable to get Jack. He is trying to find a replacement babysitter who can come and get him. Is it alright if he stays here at the school with you until someone can?"

"I'll call Agent Hotchner and see if I can just take him home with me. I get my godson on Wednesdays, and I'm sure he'll enjoy playing with Jack."

"I'll go into the classroom while you call."

Spencer had his cell in his pocket as he had been using it to control the slides earlier. He pulled it out and dialed.

"Hotchner," Hotch said. He was very much in case mode. Probably hadn't even looked at the number.

"Hotch, it's Reid."

"Okay, give me a second." The noise in the background disappeared and then there was silence. "Yes?"

"I can watch Jack. It's no problem. I can keep him overnight." Spencer figured that Hotch would try and get him to say no, but Spencer was going to push. Hotch didn't need to worry about his son while he worked a case. It was the least that he could do.

"Are you sure? You have Henry tonight."

"And they get along, so that won’t be a problem. And that Jack talks that much about my routine is a little scary." Spencer only ever mentioned Henry by title in class, not by name, but he knew that it wouldn't be hard for Hotch to put together Godson and Henry.

"Jack talked about a play room, and that your godson comes every Wednesday. Jack has keys and knows the alarm code."

"What for?" Spencer did not want to go to Hotch's apartment. He could stop at the store and get Jack enough clothes for a day or two.

"You were going to stop and buy him clothes weren't you? Spencer, going to my apartment isn't going to change anything. And I told you it's fine." Hotch's voice was soft, but Spencer could hear laughter in it. The older man was right though. It wasn't going to change anything. He'd been there before, and Jack could grab his own things. "There is a gift for you. It's for watching Jack. He found it and was going to take it to you Friday. It's on Jack's dresser."

"I'll stop by and get him clothes."

"We are kind of local, but Jessica is dealing with something with her father. If you have to keep him until the weekend, would that be alright? I know it's asking a lot." Hotch sounded stressed. Whatever was going on with Mr. Brooks had to be bad. "Tell Jack that his aunt is busy. I don't want to lie, but it might come down to that."

"Jack asked me about Alzheimer's two weeks ago. Does that have anything to do with what is going on?"

The sigh that Hotch let out told him that he was right.

"I ordered in some stuff from friends of mine. I was going to talk to him about it tomorrow as it came in today's mail. So, should I put a hold on that?"

"No. You don't know how much a relief that is. Talk to him about it. I'm sure he's scared. He's been around Roy more than I have been, and he's probably picked up on it. Jessica was going to talk to me about something tonight so I am sure that it's that. You watching Jack so that she can focus on Roy is going to help." The sound of voices had Hotch stopping. Spencer didn't recognize the voice so he figured it was either a LEO or one of the two newer members. Spencer stayed silent. "I'm sorry, Spencer I have to go. Please text if you need help with anything."

"I will." Spencer didn't know what to say as a closing. He thought about and rejected several before he rushed out. "Stay safe."

"I will." Hotch laughed and then hung up. Spencer slipped his phone in his pocket just as the bell rang for the end of the day. The Deputy Headmaster opened the door.

"You have a good bunch of students. That little timer that goes off five minutes before end of class is nice. They started cleaning up on their own. It was very refreshing."

"Thanks. It helps with time management. They look at the clock less, and get more done. I employ it even with the older kids when we have free class like this. It's a program on my computer that I can install on any in the school."

"I'll talk to the Headmistress when she comes back and we shall see. It's a program you created?"

"I learned a little bit of programming while laid up at my last major surgery three years ago. It was a summer well spent I’d say. Agent Hotchner has agreed to allowing me to take Jack."

"He just texted the school line," the Deputy Headmaster raised up his phone. "It's actually a blanket permission for you to take him home at any time. You'll have to tell me everything sometime. We don't have a staff meeting so you are free to go whenever you get packed up. That way you can go and get Henry," was whispered where only he could hear it.

"Thank you, Sir."

"One of these days Spencer you will call me Justin."

"Yes, Sir." Spencer smiled at him and laughed. It was a running joke. The man was happily married, but his wife flirted with Spencer all the time, and at the last school gathering, he had started to flirt with Spencer as well. "Just once more, as always."

The Deputy Headmaster had to cover his mouth from laughing out loud. Spencer cocked an eyebrow at him and that just made him laugh harder.

"Another movie reference?" Spencer asked.

"Pirates of the Caribbean, Doctor Cane," one of the kids called out as they shuffled past them. Jack was at the back, always checking to make sure that everyone else had cleaned up after themselves. He was ever his father's son.

"I'll have to see about watching it. Jack, please stay back. I need to talk to you."

Jack nodded and dropped down in the seat he had been in.

"I'll be in probably later than normal. Jack is going to be staying the night, and we may not rush to get in. But if you need something from me, just text."

The Deputy waved him off and turned to wade through the kids flooding the hall to make it back to the office. Spencer turned into his room and shut the door.

"Your father had a case come up and Jessica is unable to get you. If you would like you can stay the night at my house."

"But you get your Godson tonight!" Jack looked upset at possibly disrupting his normal routine.

"I do and I know that I keep details of my life separate from school, but my godson isn't going to mind if it's you that crashes our night together."

"Why?"

Spencer moved towards his desk and opened a drawer. He grabbed a picture that he had put up that showed him with Henry at the zoo. He turned it around to show Jack. Jack looked at it and smiled. "JJ and I were good friends when I was on the team, and after we stayed just as close. I was named Henry's godfather the day he was born. So see, you'll have a lot of fun tonight at my house cause you and Henry can both stay. Henry's father has to work, and he was going to get picked up early tomorrow morning, so that bunk bed in the back bedroom will get use. Henry had wanted it when I set up his room, and now I think it was a great idea. So the first thing that you and I have to do is go to your house, and pick up some clothes. Your dad says that you have a key and you remember the alarm code."

"Yes, Sir!" Jack near saluted him and Spencer laughed.

"I just need to pack up my messenger bag and then we will be ready to go. Thankfully I had plans on picking up Henry from DC today, or we would have to walk to my house to get my car."

"Can we do that in the morning? Walk to school?" Jack asked. He was digging around inside his backpack for something. He popped up with a book in his hand. He looked around for a few seconds before slipping up to sit on top of the lab table with his legs crossed. He opened the book and smiled at Spencer before starting to read. Spencer sat down and printed out a few things that he needed to work on over the night, along with slipping all the tests and homework that he needed to grade. Thankfully his memory allowed all of it to be very quick for him. He thought about dinner, and wondered if the boys wanted to go to the diner. Henry always enjoyed it because he was allowed to get a milkshake. Together, they would probably have a good time. Maybe they would even stop at it in the morning to get breakfast. Most days Spencer did walk into work as it was easier, but it always depended on his knee.

"Yes, we can walk, if it's good weather. And get breakfast on the way."

"Yay!"

It took another twenty minutes until Spencer was ready to go. He had to pack up things that he normally didn't take home as he did them before he left to pick up Henry but with stopping at Hotch's, he'd need the extra time. The boys would be fine to play for a while so that he could get some work done.

Traffic into DC wasn't that bad. Spencer had already texted Will to tell him that he might be a little late. Will had texted back that he could always drop him off. Spencer then explained that he had a stop to make, and if it got too close to the start of his shift, he would text him and tell him. He gave Will the address, and he wasn't shocked when the man had asked why he was at Hotch's. Spencer had ignored that for the time being.

Jack had run to his room after giving him the code to enter in. Spencer felt weird and stayed in the living room. He was looking at the collection of books on the shelves when he heard Jack run up behind him. He turned, and the boy had a box in his hand.

"Your father told me about this."

"Awww, he ruined it!" Jack cried out.

"He didn't tell me what it was. Just that you had a present for me." Spencer looked at Jack before he opened it. The boy had something else behind his back and was rocking back and forth on his heels. He was really excited about the present. Spencer made sure that he kept a smile on his face, no matter what it was. He opened the wrapping paper, a collection of words. It was nice wrapping paper. Inside was a tie. It was bright purple with math equations all over it. He smiled even brighter at the boy. "That's a very nice tie Jack."

"I'm glad you like. I also got one," Jack said as he brought his left hand out from behind his back, and he did have one in his hand except it was green, but it had the same math equations all over it. "I was hoping that we could pick a day and wear them on the same day. Dad and I have several matching ties. I wanted to get this one, and he said that I could, but that he didn't think he could get away with it at work. Then I saw the purple one, and you wear a lot of purple, so I asked Dad if I could get it for you, to thank you for watching me. I know that you don't do it for any other reason than to help, and you don't expect anything in return, but I wanted to say that I am happy that you do it."

"If you keep on there, your father is going to say that I rubbed my rambling off on you. I love it Jack and we can wear it on Wednesdays if you want." Spencer rolled the tie up and slipped it back into the box it had come in. He didn't have his bag so he just held onto it.

"I can carry it in my go bag!" Jack held his hand out, and Spencer handed it over. When he had a hold of it, Jack took off for his room. Spencer turned around and looked at the books again. Ten minutes later, Jack came out in the kitchen. He stopped in the kitchen and grabbed something. Spencer turned to watch. It was a bottle of something. He set down another bottle. It was children's vitamins. "Dad said I was getting low so he got a new one. This is the new one, and I'll leave it here, but I am taking the low one with me. It has a few days worth in it."

Spencer watched Jack slip the bottle into what looked like one of Hotch's old go bags. He smiled. Of course Jack would want one. He knew that he shouldn't have expected anything less.

XxXxXxX

The closing of Friday's classes had Spencer looking forward to the weekend, with or without Jack. The boy had been perfect for him. He missed his dad, but he was happy to be there with Spencer. The case was a bad one, and Spencer kept an eye on it in the news. Jack was seated on top of the lab tables again, working on his homework while Spencer was getting all of his work done, so that he would have a clear weekend.

The knock on his classroom door startled him. It should only be teachers, and they just usually walked right in. Jack looked up and the look on his face told Spencer who it was before Jack screamed for his father. Hotch opened the door and stepped in just as Jack bound off the table to run at him. Hotch picked him up for a big hug and Jack was chattering all the things that they had done over the two days that Spencer had been watching him.

"That's really good, buddy. Spencer and I need to talk." Hotch was looking around.

"Jack come and play on the computer. Headphones on." Spencer got up out of his seat and allowed the boy to take it. He dug around for headphones in the drawer beside the computer and pulled out a pair that was labeled with his name. Spencer ruffled his hair as he popped the buds in.

"Thanks. I wasn't looking forward to talking in the hall."

"What's up?" Spencer sat down on the lab table that Jack had vacated. He worked on cleaning up Jack's stuff.

"It is what we talked about. Jessica doesn't know what to do. His sister was supposed to take him in, but she injured herself. The only place that she likes, and will take him is in West Virginia. Roy doesn't like it. She doesn't make a lot at her job and lives in a single bedroom. The only option is to lie to Roy and tell him that her recent promotion comes with money and I'll help her pay for moving into a double."

Spencer nodded and leaned over to grab a file from his messenger bag. "You know about mom."

"Yes." Hotch leaned back against the lab table behind him, looking relaxed.

"I go and see her every few weeks now. Have been for a while and well...I started to notice things. She's in the early stages of early onset Alzheimer's. When I was looking into things for her I found out about a pilot program of sorts. LA has one and so does New York City." Spencer pulled out a sheet of paper. "This is the information for the one that is placing residents now in Alexandria. I know one of the doctors that is in the facility, and I've talked in general terms with what I know, and what Jack has told me. If he's at the point it sounds like he is, this place is for him."

"Spencer there is..." Hotch was looking at the page that gave the information on the facility. When he looked back up, Spencer could see the vulnerability in his eyes.

"I can get him in, Hotch. Mom can't live in a place like that. Not with her schizophrenia. It's an apartment complex, but with monitored ins and outs. He'd be in an apartment, alone. Have his meals cooked for him, and brought up to him, or he can eat in the dining room. Jack would be able to visit. That's not restricted at all unless he's in an episode, or becomes violent but getting him into a place like that now when he's still mostly there helps. It won't be totally new. They handle all the stages. The upper floors are the apartments, the lower two floors are for the end stage patients. I can have Jessica and Roy looking at them tomorrow."

"Spencer, this is..."

"I know what this is like Hotch. I had to make that decision when I was eighteen. I understand what Jessica is going through. It doesn't get any easier the older you get. Jack talks to me about him. How he knows that Roy doesn't like you because of Haley's death. He sees it, but he knows that he can't stop it. So he just doesn't say anything because he doesn't want you upset by feeling like you are making him choose. I can't help mom, but I can help him, and you, and mostly Jack. Just talk to her about it. If she wants to talk to me she can. You can give her my number." Spencer handed over the rest of the information that he had printed out. He watched as Hotch read it all. Answering any questions that he could.

"I'll call and talk to her when we get home. This is more than I ever thought anyone could help with this. I see the out of pocket cost is minimum for people without insurance, and they work out the rest with insurance."

"It's all grants and such. New medicines are offered when they come out, but the doctors will work with Jessica for the right medicines for him."

"Are you going to your mom's this weekend?"

"No."

"If Jessica wants you to go with her, or if she wants me, can you watch Jack?"

"Of course."

"I don't...I don't want you think that's all I want from you, Spencer. I don't trust many people with him."

"You almost lost him with Foyet, and you do everything you can to never lose him. I understand, Hotch. You trust me with him and he likes me."

"I want to take you out. I know this place in DC that has good food, and Jack loves to go there. We can do an early dinner, then I can talk to Jessica."

"Hotch."

"Please. You just took in my son for however long this case could have gone. I keep dropping into your life, and you keep letting me. I'm not pushing for more than telling you thanks for taking care of him. That's all."

"Okay." Spencer knew that it wasn't all that Hotch wanted, but he knew that agreeing to go was the only option. He wanted it. He wanted to be included and he wanted Hotch, he just wasn't sure of himself.


	15. February 2015 Part 2

Aaron felt his phone vibrate to tell him that he had received a text message. He wasn't on a case, so he had it silenced. He was shocked when he read it was from Spencer. He set down his chopsticks and switched hands for his phone. He hoped that it was more than just him asking something about Jack. He was fast figuring out that JJ was right. He might have to force the issue.

_Dad, can I go with Spencer after school instead of having Aunt Jessica pick me up?_

Aaron was a little shocked. It was lunch time, but he wasn't expecting that. Ever since Jack had stayed with Spencer while he'd worked a case and Jessica had needed to deal with Roy, he'd been really attached to Spencer.

**Have Spencer call me when he can and we can discuss it.**

Aaron turned his phone off of vibrate before he started eating again. He was nearly done when the phone rang. It wasn't his cell though it was his desk phone. He looked at the caller ID. It was Spencer. He smiled and picked up.

"I shouldn't be shocked you remember my direct number. But I am. How are you today?"

"I'm good Hotch. How about you?" There was no background noise so he was either in the teacher's lounge or in his room.

"Drowning in paperwork as always. Not all of us have your memory and reading skills."

"Jack is still fascinated by watching me grade tests."

"It's Thursday. Why does Jack want to go to yours?"

"I was talking to another teacher, and he heard me talk about a four hour program I recorded on jets. Now he wants to watch it at mine. I told him it was up to you."

"You don't care about a nine year old invading your science time?" Aaron wondered if he'd be able to snag a dinner. Even with fast forwarding through commercials, the program was likely three plus hours long. They weren't going to get to Spencer's before three thirty.

"I was going to transfer it to VHS, and let him watch it in the mornings, but he really wants to see it all in one go. I don't like taking time from his aunt, or you."

"Spencer, Jessica is going to be fine with it. She's still visiting Roy a lot to get him settled in. This means a night off for her. And I can just stop by and get him from yours on my way home. It's not out of my way."

"Okay. I can have food ready if you text me a time when you are getting off. Jack really likes the baked macaroni and cheese I made two weeks ago and brought in for my lunch. I shared it with him, and he split his turkey and muenster sandwich with me."

Aaron laughed to himself. He knew that once a week Jack ate lunch with someone, but he hadn't been aware it was Spencer. He had a feeling Jack was getting very attached to him, and as more than a teacher. Was Spencer aware, or did he file it as normal given how much time they spent together?

"I'll text you, but I am more than willing to pick up dinner for the three of us."

"I have the food prepped. Just have to pull it from the fridge and bake it. It just means I won't have leftovers and that is fine. It's no trouble." The sound of a door opening sounded down the line. Then a bell. Lunch was over. "Kids will be flooding in soon. Have a good day, Hotch."

"Have a good day." Aaron dropped the phone into the receiver. "I wish you'd call me Aaron." He cleaned up his lunch and started in on paper work.

An hour later, Dave stepped into his office and shut the door.

"You and Beth fizzled, and you never told me. You went out with me to that club, but turned down a very nice woman. So Aaron Hotchner, who were you talking to that had you smiling like a loon for this past hour?"

"My personal life is not your concern, Dave."

"So there is someone." Dave leaned back in the chair. "Who is she."

Aaron debated what to tell him. He didn't want the whole team getting in on it like they had Beth. Spencer wanted to be kept away, and Aaron would, but Dave would be like a dog with a bone. "One of the teachers at Jack's school has shown an interest. I'm keeping it low key, and even Jack is unaware. Keep it to yourself Dave."

"I will. I'm just glad that you are looking. Does Jack like her?"

"He does."

"Good." Dave leaned forward. "I ask to be told when you go on a date."

"We shall see." Aaron waved for him to leave and thankfully he did. Either he hadn't totally caught onto him using no pronouns at all, or he was going to wait. Aaron was looking forward to the evening. With Jack there, there were no expectations. No worry that Aaron would try and turn it intimate. As long as Spencer allowed him over like that, he'd keep going. It would wear the genius down eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Criminal Minds Bang is still taking sign ups. Writer sign ups close at the end of the month though. Please follow the link to sign up as a writer or an artist. [Criminal Minds Bang](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Criminal_Minds_Bang_2017/profile). Come join us!
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	16. February 2015 Part 3

"Aunt Jessica needs a break," Jack said as he flopped down into his normal chair in class. He was the first to arrive as his class before was next door.

"Okay. And why are you talking to me about it?" Spencer looked up from the powder he was mixing for his first class the next morning. The freshman class was getting on his nerves as a new kid had started just a few weeks before after moving to the area when his mother transferred to the Pentagon. The kid was used to being the smartest in the room, and therefore given a pass for whatever he did. Other teachers were having an issue with him also, and Spencer was going to correct his attitude. With nonviolent means before he was called to order, and possibly kicked out of the school. Spencer knew that he could be a stellar student, if given the chance. He'd tried to engage him in an intelligent manner, but the boy was still rebelling. Spencer looked forward to what happened after he pranked the kid.

"It's Monday. Dad's coming home today from a case in a few hours according to what Aunt Jessica told me this morning. I think that she needs a week break. Only have to worry about Grandpa, who is giving her issues. We spent a lot of time at his new place this weekend. I don't think I've played my DS so much in a long time."

"And again, why are you talking to me about this?" Spencer just stared at him, and Jack never looked away. He was fairly certain that he knew what the boy wanted, but he wanted to hear the words from his mouth first.

"Can I stay with you after school this week? Until dad gets off, and spend the night if another case comes up?"

Before Spencer could answer another student came into the room. Spencer handed over his phone and Jack smiled before jumping out of his seat and moving to the chair in the corner with the phone in hand. Spencer had Jessica's number, just in case she was going to be late, or something came up with Roy. Today was a day of studying before their big test, so Jack texting his father and aunt wouldn't impact class that much. The other students were already getting their study materials out and a few were already reading. There was only a test a month in this class. And it was fluid when it was in the month. They were finished with a section so it was test time. The kids liked it.

In the older classes, there were sometimes more tests and sometimes less, it depended on the subject. The older kids had five different tests floating around for each test. That way it was harder for anyone to cheat.

Once he was done mixing the powder and slipped it into the locked drawer of his desk, he moved to the table at the side of the room. He had a few things already spread out on it. It was fun little projects that had to do with the subject matter of the test the kids were going to be doing the next day. The kids could come up and do one with him quickly to help give them a clear mind before going back and studying. The kids liked it as it gave them something physical to do instead of sitting and reading the whole time.

Ten minutes later, Jack came over with the phone and set it down. Spencer opened the messenger app and found the conversation between Jack, Hotch, and Jessica. Jessica was more than okay with it and Hotch left it up to Spencer.

_I have nothing planned this week and having Jack over a while each day is no issue._

**_As long as you are sure. ___**

Thank you, Spencer. Jack is right that a break is something I could do with.

_Then I'll see you Hotch tonight at the house when you pick up Jack._

Spencer pocketed his phone as Eliana moved up to the table. She sat down in front of the middle project and started to read the instructions before she worked it. He kept an eye out, and when another boy moved up to sit down at a different project, he tapped the table in front of her to let her know that someone was coming up behind her. She looked up and smiled at him before signing hello when Jacob sat down at the first project. Jacob signed hello back at her. After a few more minutes, Eliana moved away after she was done, and Spencer cleaned up her project. He was thinking of other things as the kids came up and then moved away, his eyes firmly on Jack, who never looked up from his book.

He wondered exactly what the boy was after. Jack was a thoughtful boy. Exactly like his father, but there was something more than just wanting to give his aunt a break in it all. He had a motive and Spencer wasn't exactly sure what it was. If it was any other situation, Spencer would say that he wanted to get him and his father together, but the boy had never seen them touch much less do anything that would tell him that his father was interested in him. He decided to watch the boy closer the rest of the week.

Hours later, when Hotch knocked on the door, and Jack disappeared from where he had been studying for a math exam later that week, Spencer was fairly certain that he was right. Jack was giving him and Hotch alone time. He didn't think that Hotch was putting the boy up to it, it wasn't a tactic that he could see Hotch employing given their history. Jack was an observant child, and he was seeing a lot more than Spencer was giving him credit for. It made his stomach feel funny, thinking about the fact that Jack was more than okay with him and his father dating, it seemed.


	17. March 2015 Part 1

Spencer was waiting outside for Jack to be dropped off. It was still kind of dark out, but Spencer was expecting Jack at any moment. Hotch had a day in court, and was going to be busy for hours. A court case that had been set for three weeks from then had been jumped up in the dockets. The only saving grace was that it was local. The team was going to be scrambling to get all the documents needed for Hotch's testimony ready for him. So Spencer was happy to go in early, just to give the older man some stress relief in not having to worry about Jack. Hotch had wanted to drop him off at Spencer's but Spencer had an early morning excursion planned for the two of them. He needed some water from the pond, and with Jack it would be easier to carry what he needed back.

The headlights cut through the dark surrounding the long loop in and out of the school. The lights weren't on for the drop off lane as the teachers parked along a different side of the school and it was all lit up. Spencer leaned on his cane, waving at Jack who looked only half awake.

Hotch stopped the car, and Spencer expected Jack to open the door, but instead the engine cut and Hotch got out. Jack unbuckled his belt, but stayed seated, looking up at Spencer with a smile on his face. Hotch moved to the back of the car and popped the trunk.

"Spencer, can you come here?" Hotch called out.

Spencer quirked an eyebrow at Jack who just smirked and shrugged. The smirk told him that the kid knew exactly what was going on, even if he tried to pass it off as him not knowing. Spencer stopped at the back corner of the car looking into the trunk.

"JJ is going to to be picking Jack up from your house tonight on her way home from work." Hotch pulled the same go bag that Jack had used before to stay at Spencer's overnight out of the trunk, but he didn't shut the hatch. Instead, he took a small step closer to Spencer before he set the bag down on the ground. He reached out next and gripped the arm that Spencer didn't have the cane in and pulled him closer.

"Is he going to be staying over at JJ's?" Spencer looked down at the bag. It seemed a little full for an overnight stay. Hotch's fingers were on his chin, tilting his face up to look at him, shocked Spencer.

"No, I'll be picking him up from there later tonight. That bag is full of clothes for Jack to keep at your place. A few outfits as well as a few ties for school and some play clothes. That way things are easier. Also, his kind of shampoo, bodywash, toothpaste, a new toothbrush. I know that you bought him one, but we found a really cool one last night, so we had to get a new one for the house, and he wanted one for your place too." Hotch looked him in the eye and Spencer could tell that he was nervous. What could he have to be nervous about? "I'm going to be in court all day, but I want to know the answer to this now. I was going to wait until I got out of court, but I don't think that I can."

"Hotch?" Spencer tried to step back, but the hand on his chin gripped him tighter and his other hand shot out and settled over his hand on his cane. It was gentle though, grounding. He knew before Hotch opened his mouth what he was going to ask. He knew he had taken too long. He wanted what Hotch was offering. A chance to try again for what they had talked about after his fight with anthrax. He wanted it, but that fear always reared it's head that Hotch would go away again. That he'd be left alone, again.

"I see your wheels turning." Hotch took another half of a step closer. If either of them moved even just a half an inch forward, they would be touching. Spencer reached out and touched a button on Hotch's coat, not wanting to touch him more than that, but needing to touch him in some way. Hotch understood him in that way, he always had. Never touching him too much, but always grounding him if needed. It had started in the graveyard and had just built from there. Hotch smiled at him. "I have a reservation for a restaurant for seven in Alexandria, for two. I should be done with court by three, four at the latest. I can either pick you up, or you can join me. That is your choice. Yes?"

Spencer swallowed and nodded. Hotch's smile dropped a little. "Yes. Yes, I'll go to dinner with you, Hotch."

"Aaron. Call me Aaron, Spencer, please."

"Aaron." The smile that Spencer got for that one uttered word told him that he was making the right decision.

"A kiss? To bolster me through court the rest of the day." Aaron leaned in that little bit that had them touching. Spencer leaned in a little as well and brushed Aaron's lips with his own. Just a tease before he pulled back. "That's not even going to get me through the interrogation from Dave about the smile on my face."

"You want more?" Spencer asked. The hand on top of his own lifted off and slipped around his waist, gently pulling him all the way in. Aligning both of their bodies to each other.

"Yes." Aaron covered Spencer’s lips with his own, not giving him the chance to be a tease again. Aaron left no doubt in his mind that he was wanted. His mind raced, and he wanted more. He was so thankful that they were not in view of the school with the trunk popped. His knees went weak at the passion that was in the kiss. All he could do was hang on for the ride. The older man kissed just like Spencer thought he would. It was passion and love and just raw emotion. Everything that he held back in his daily life at work. The lights flicking on for student drop off was what made them pull away from each other. Spencer's heart was racing and he felt happier than he had in a very long time. "It's going to take me the entire drive to DC after stopping at the office to get rid of this smile."

"What kind of dress for the restaurant?" Spencer had no clue what kind of place it was.

"You could wear jeans there, but I was hoping to see you in one of those three piece suits. But then I've never seen you in jeans."

"The only jeans I own are from my college days. They are soft and look like they have been painted on. I have a pair of black ones that would look good with one of my suit vests. Especially with my dark purple shirt." Spencer lifted Aaron's tie. "The shirt and vest match this tie, actually. Is this what you are going to wear?"

"I was going to change, but now I am not so sure." Aaron sat down on the edge of the trunk and pulled Spencer into the space between his spread legs. "I want this so bad. We've both changed, but that spark is still there. If I move too fast or do something you don't like, tell me, Spencer please."

"Is that why you said Jack isn't spending the night at JJ's?"

"To stop temptation? Yes. Haley and I and even Beth and I moved too fast into sex. I don't want that with us. I want the rest of our lives."

"So do I, Aaron. I've been alone for so long. And you know I adore Jack. I'm going to get scared. I'm going to pull away at times. I'm never going to hurt you on purpose."

"You already know my worst faults. I work too much. I get obsessed with work. Haley never wanted to talk, even in general terms. You already know the job, but I..."

"You don't have to hide it, Aaron. I miss the job sometimes, but I don't want to go back. I love it here at New Haven. I love my kids, and I love the work. If a case frustrates you, talk it out with me. Tell me what is bothering you." Spencer leaned his head down to kiss Aaron. The older man cupped his cheeks, holding him there. He turned the kiss soft, and so gentle that it almost brought tears to his eyes.

"Never change Spencer, because you are perfect the way you are."

"You are going to give me an ego." Spencer stepped back more to not give into the urge to kiss Aaron again than anything else.

"Egos can be good. Go before we get caught making out like teenagers."

Spencer looked into the sliver of backseat. He could see Jack looking at them. The boy was smiling. "We've already been caught. What have you told him?"

"I was honest. That we'd talked about it before and then your knee and Foyet happened and we moved apart. I told him that we'd been moving towards this since January. That even if we didn't work out, he'd still see you as much as he does now."

Spencer didn't know what to say to Aaron in response to that. He just nodded. Aaron smiled at him.

"He has his backpack with him. JJ is going to text when she is done so she knows where to pick up Jack." Aaron stood up and his hand hesitated like he wanted to pull something from the trunk but stopped. A second of hesitation and then he was grabbing something. It was a cardboard tube. Aaron smiled as he handed it over. "This is for your room. I saw it and thought that you'd love it so I ordered it. I'm sure you can find somewhere to put it."

"What is it?" Spencer moved to pull the lid off but Aaron's hand stopped him.

"It's a poster and it's pretty big, so wait until you are in your class."

"Aaron Hotchner blushing. Obviously if you want me to put it in my classroom it's not intimate."

"I saw it and thought of you. It's intimate in that aspect." Aaron leaned in and kissed his cheek before he shut the trunk. He knocked on the car and Jack scrambled out. He was dressed in a light jacket, but his outfit was close to his father's just without the suit jacket. Even their ties matched and Spencer laughed.

"We have to drop off your go bag, Jack, and my secret present before we can head to the pond. I need pond water for my Earth science class. Think you can help me carry it?"

"Sure, Spencer!" Jack grabbed his go bag from the ground and took off towards the school. He didn't even look back at his father, or Spencer, once.

"I'll be waiting at home. Pick me up at any time. I'll make sure to be home, so tell JJ she can just stop by, and doesn't need to text. I don't have a lot of homework being handed in today, and only a single test, those never take long to grade."

"I'll see you around six then." Aaron caught his face and kissed him, chastely on the mouth before moving to the driver's side door of the car. Spencer started towards the school. He knew he was going to wearing a smile on his face all day.


	18. March 2015 Part 2

Aaron only had a single thought as soon as the team was around him. Cruz had come and taken over the scene since Aaron was the one to kill Peter Lewis. He'd been silent while getting checked out by the medics. He knew he was going to be going to the hospital. To keep him for observation. Aaron was itching to call Spencer. The hallucination he'd been forced to have was prominent in his mind. Lewis had triggered a fear even he hadn't been able to control. That was what had saved Dave and JJ's lives. Because in his hallucination, Tara Lewis wasn't on the team, Callahan was pregnant, and Spencer was on the team. As soon as he'd seen Spencer in his mind, he'd started to fight it and he'd won. The UnSub hadn't been able to get away before Aaron had shot him. As soon as Lewis had gone down, Aaron had clicked his safety on, and threw his gun away, just to be safe. His phone was broken and he needed to call Spencer.

"Hotch? What's wrong?" Callahan asked as she stepped up. Her hand reached out, but stopped when he looked around for JJ. He needed her phone. His brain was jumping, and he couldn't settle it down. He locked eyes with JJ and held his hand out.

"Please. I need to talk. I need to know. Please?" Aaron didn't like begging, but the hallucination had seemed so real. He hadn't even entertained Spencer being hurt anymore. He hadn't even had a nightmare about him dying on that day at the school.

JJ nodded and dialed a number on her phone before handing it over.

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked as soon as he heard the click that told him that Spencer had answered the phone.

"Aaron, what's wrong? What do you mean am I okay? I'm sitting on the couch in my house with a bowl of popcorn in my lap watching TV and grading tests." Spencer sounded perfectly fine. There was no reason for him to worry.

"I was drugged, and I hallucinated your death. You were shot in the head. It was so real. Please. I need you. I need you and Jack. Please. JJ will text you the address of the hospital I am being taken to. I just need you."

"I'll be there as soon as I get Jack out of bed. I'll text the Deputy Headmaster and make sure that he knows I won't be in tomorrow and nor will Jack. We'll be there. Stay strong." The line clicked off and Aaron looked at JJ a weak smile on his face.

"Agent Hotchner, we need to get going, your team can follow behind, but we need to go now," The lead medic said.

"Okay," Aaron laid back on the stretcher he was on and allowed himself to be strapped in. He knew that he'd be staying until his system was clear of the drugs, and probably longer to check on his mental status. His mental status would be a lot better once he had eyes on Spencer.

The ride to the hospital took no time at all. His entire brain focused on the thought that Spencer was alive and well. He wanted to touch him though. The team was kept from his room until he was settled in. He was given a private room due to what had happened with him, and told he'd be kept until morning at least. Every single time that someone passed by his room he looked up. He'd made sure his nurse knew that his partner and child were on their way. The nurse had been more than willing to keep an eye out. It wasn't until he realized that the whole team was around him that he thought about Spencer's reaction to them being there.

"Hotch, what's going on?" Morgan asked.

But before Aaron could even think to respond the door was opening. Jack ran in first, right to Aaron, and Spencer was next in the door. Aaron picked up Jack as soon as the boy jumped at him. The team was silent as they watched Spencer walk across the distance between the door and his bed. JJ was at Aaron's side, helping Jack sit down beside him as Spencer's hand reached out when Aaron raised his. JJ stepped back a buffer between Morgan and them.

"How is he, JJ?" Spencer asked, sparing only a little glance at her before he looked back at Aaron. Aaron wanted to touch him more, but he wasn't sure. Spencer lifted Aaron's hand up and laid it on his cheek, smiling as he did. Aaron heard a gasp from at least one person, but didn't care. The door opened again and Aaron looked out of habit to see Garcia.

"Hotch, you should be laying down." Garcia started forward, but stopped when Aaron looked away from her. "Who is this?"

"Hello, Garcia," Spencer said, but he didn't turn around, instead he leaned in and kissed Aaron. Aaron was shocked, but he didn't pull back. It was a simple press of lips, but he needed it. He kept Spencer right there. It was the first time that Spencer had started a kiss between them without Aaron having kissed him just before. Spencer was real, and alive, and right there with him. Aaron pulled out of the kiss, but only because he pulled the other man into a hug.

"Thank you," Aaron whispered in his ear. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see shocked faces.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else. Just relax. JJ texted me what happened. I can still see a difference in your eyes, and a slight tremor in your body." Spencer pulled back and lifted the flap on his new bag. Jack had seen it at a store and pointed it out. Spencer had liked it, so he bought it. He handed over a pair of Aaron's pajama pants. He remembered the go bag he had left on accident at Spencer's. He dumped a plate of spaghetti on himself and had showered and changed. "We will leave you to get changed."

Spencer cupped the side of his face and smiled.

"Thanks Spencer." Aaron flicked his eyes to the team. Morgan looked pissed, but JJ and surprisingly, Callahan, were standing in front of him keeping him quiet. Dave was shocked and Garcia was dumbfounded. Lewis was looking with an interested eye, but that was it. "Don't..." Aaron looked at Jack.

"I'm sure that JJ will take him somewhere. Don't do anything stupid, or I will have them strap you to the bed. I'm a doctor so follow doctor's orders, Agent Hotchner."

"Yes, Sir Doctor Reid." Aaron smiled brightly as Spencer smiled back at him, and Jack giggled before yawning. It was late, but Aaron knew that Spencer would have never left Jack alone in his house. Jessica was out of town. Aaron stood up, grabbing the back of his gown to keep it closed. He moved to the bathroom. When he unfolded the sleep pants, he found a pair of boxers as well. He sent a silent thank you to Spencer.

XxXxXxX

Spencer closed the door to Aaron's room. He turned, but didn't look at Rossi, Morgan, or Garcia. He pulled Jack to stand in front of him. The boy smiled and snuggled back.

"Agent Lewis, it's a pleasure to meet you finally." Spencer held out a hand and Lewis stepped up to shake it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. You are?" Lewis looked a little shocked that he knew who she was.

"Spencer Reid. Former Agent Reid."

The look of shock on her face was marvellous.

"I've wanted to meet you for a while now. I've used a lot of the papers you've written when dealing with my patients." Lewis shook his hand a little harder before stepping back.

"Aaron told me. And Agent Callahan, wonderful to see you again."

"You too, Doctor Reid. I see that things on that front worked out well." Callahan was smiling.

"Yes. Better than I would have thought. Agents Callahan, Lewis, JJ would you mind taking Jack to get some juice?" Spencer glanced at the two women he barely knew before looking at JJ. She looked hesitant, but at the smile from Spencer she nodded.

"Jack wants to talk about a sleepover with Henry at my house anyway. Maybe you and he can iron out the details?"

"Sure."

"Does this mean no more secret agent?" Jack asked, tilting his head up to look at Spencer.

"I think it does." Spencer leaned down and kissed him on the head. "Remember, nothing will take me away from you."

"Even Dad's team not liking you?"

"Even that. Nothing will. It just means your dad will hangout with them less outside of work. Or you'll hang out with me when he does."

"Good."

"Come on, Jack. Maybe we can sneak in a snack." JJ looked at Spencer as she spoke. He nodded and she smiled.

"I can tell Kate and Tara all about the cool snake Spencer has as a class pet."

"Yes, and how you pouted until I agreed," Spencer called out. Jack laughed and moved into the elevator as the doors opened. Spencer didn't turn to face the other three until the doors were shut again. "Let's step out of the halls. I don't want a visible scene."

Spencer moved to a small room that held ten chairs, and a little kitchenette type area. He moved to lean against the counter. The three followed him in, and Rossi shut the door.

"What the hell, Reid?" Morgan demanded.

"You are going to have to be a bit more specific in that, Morgan. What are you questioning? Aaron and I? The kissing? That I arrived with Jack? That I know Callahan? That Aaron even knew I was in the area? That you didn't know? Well?"

Morgan just stared. Garcia was staring at him, but Spencer looked at Rossi.

"Aaron told you he was starting something with a teacher at Jack's school. Are you more shocked it's a male or that it's me?"

"You teach now?" Morgan asked before Rossi could say a word.

"I've been teaching for a while now. I found a nice school that I am happy at. New Haven, where Jack goes."

"Is that why Aaron sent Jack there?" Rossi asked.

"No. He wasn't aware that I was there. JJ was, and once she figured out that Jack was going there, she tried to warn me. But I'd already seen Jack. I am the teacher that's been watching Jack in the early mornings."

"So, he's known you are in the area since September and hasn't told us?" Garcia asked. She looked like she wanted to move forward and hug him, so Spencer set his cane down in front of himself, kind of leaning on it. He'd enjoyed learning ways to use the cane as a buffer between him and people. Aaron always ignored it though. Especially when they were out on the few dates they'd been able to squeeze in since the start of the month. Aaron was tactile in a way that shocked Spencer, but he was getting used to it.

"No since January. He knew early in January."

"When Jack's class was taken hostage. You had to have seen him then. When Doctor Caine shot the two hostage takers." Rossi still looked confused.

"Shot one. Took the other out with his cane."

"Doctor Caine has a cane?" Morgan asked.

Spencer raised his eyebrow at him. "It's Doctor C-A-N-E. An affectionate nickname my kids have had for me since my first year. Aaron thought it was a last name as well right up until he saw me on the security camera. The school is a DOJ pet project. To keep me happy, Aaron and Callahan were asked to use Caine."

"So when did things between you and Hotch start? Or was that instant? You always had a soft spot for him. He always could do no wrong in your eyes."

Spencer looked at Morgan and wondered how he had missed that. He looked at Rossi and then back at Morgan. Then at Garcia and back at Morgan. Morgan had been in love with him. That explained so much. He wondered why he had never seen it before. JJ kept him updated on the team's reactions to his name being said. Morgan was the main reason that Spencer hadn't wanted to be around anyone. Garcia would have never been able to keep it from him, and unfortunately he'd never got too attached to Rossi to really miss him without the rest of the team attached. The person he missed the most was Prentiss, and the ache of her death still haunted him.

"Garcia has tried to track you, but you are a ghost in the system. She found a bank account and money in and out of it for Bennington. Everything else was behind a wall of code she wouldn't touch."

"Because of the DOJ. I was recruited by the school, but I was seduced by the DOJ. They wanted me where they could keep an eye, and use me when needed, so they promised me a lot of things to get me into New Haven, including hiding me from my former team. When the hostage situation came, there was no choice, the BAU was the best to get in there. I figured that the BAU would be the ones to come and I prepared myself. I was shocked to just see Aaron and Agent Callahan. Then the reason why the rest of you weren't there was told to me."

"But we..." Garcia started but when Spencer looked at her sharply, she stopped.

"I don't want to hear the word family come out of your mouth. I understand Aaron. It took some thinking, but I do. He was relying on all of you. Who said it was a flesh wound first?" Spencer knew what their answer was going to be. He looked at Morgan and Rossi. Their faces told him. "You listened to Prentiss. Who was at the time obsessed with Aaron and his protection. Who hadn't even seen me since before the shooting? You took her word without ever talking to me. Because why? What reason did any of you have for not even calling the hospital I was at and checking on me? Prentiss made sure that no one who contacted the hospital after she figured out that Aaron was there would ever find out any information on him without a code. I didn't have that code. I knew he was hurt, and I knew where, but I knew nothing else. All Will knew was that he was fine. JJ tried, but she was in as much of an information blackout as I was once she started to deal with the media surrounding it all."

Morgan looked devastated. Rossi looked upset. Garcia looked ready to cry. Spencer knew he should have felt something, he knew that, but there was nothing there. Their reasons were their own and he didn't need them to move on. Morgan had been one of his closest friends once. But that Morgan sized hole was long closed over. Rossi had been a co-worker and a distant friend. He'd looked up to him as a profiler, but that was it. Garcia had been close, but like Rossi he hadn't let her get too close. Prentiss had been just as close as Morgan. A sister in all but blood.

"I can't be the bearer of your guilt. It is your own, and I can't change it. You say I let Aaron get away with things. No, I called him out, in private. Not in front of the team and never in anger. We always talked everything out in private. Owen Savage, yes you all heard what he said on the jet. You didn't know that he drove me home and then to the movie, as I called it. Because I didn't want to say out loud I was going to NA meetings in the round table room, especially after you, Morgan, made a comment that you hoped I was with a woman. I never could figure out if you meant it in that you were hoping that I was out and doing something, or you would have been upset if I was with a male. You all stuck me in a Reid shaped box, and it took drastic measures to get you to change the box, but with Aaron, he never did that on the personal level. That's why I fell in love with him years ago. It hurt, thinking that he didn't care. I reacted in anger, but I don't regret leaving. I don't regret a single moment over the years since I left the team. I can't, because if I do, I won't be happy. Aaron and Jack make me happy. JJ, Will, and Henry make me happy. Teaching makes me feel good."

Spencer didn't give them a chance to respond. He straightened himself up and moved to the door, he'd said what he needed to say, and that was the end of it in his mind. JJ was there to wrap her arm around him and escort him to Aaron's room. Lewis and Callahan were in seats on one side of the bed while Jack was sitting at Aaron's feet. With no prompting, Aaron slid over on the bed, and Spencer climbed in after toeing off his shoes. He laid on his side, pressed against Aaron. JJ stood behind him, resting her hands on his legs.

"So how...?" Callahan stopped and then looked at Jack. "Never mind."

"It's a long story," JJ started. She squeezed Spencer's calf. "Big things happened, and Spence left the team. That's when Alex Blake joined. Spencer is Henry's godfather, and I kept my mouth shut about him. No one else had seen him until that day of the hostage situation."

"I knew something big had to have happened with how they were acting," Callahan said. She smiled at Jack who was looking at her. "But I knew that it really wasn't the time or the place, and that if Hotch wanted to talk about it, he would after. He never did so I dropped it."

"I would have paid to see Hotch's face," JJ said as she pushed at Spencer's knees. He turned his head to look at her and frowned at her, but scooted his legs closer to Aaron's. The older man wrapped his arm around Spencer's back to help keep him on the bed.

"I don't think I want to hear this." Aaron kissed his head and looked at Jack.

"It was the most emotion I'd seen on his face before. His whole demeanor changed from outright worry to the calm I see every case. Even before I figured out who he was I knew Hotch knew him. Then I was treated to watching him act like a mother hen. It was kind of scary." Callahan had a smile on her face.

"Aaron had told me about your little one, but I've not seen any pictures."

Spencer engaged both Lewis and Callahan in discussions until Jack was asleep curled in a ball at the end of the bed. JJ had covered him up and he was using his coat as a pillow. Will appeared as the other two agents were leaving. He scooped up Jack to carry him out.

"You worry about Hotch. We've got Jack. Once you get him home Will can drop him off." JJ kissed Spencer's cheek and patted Aaron's shoulder and then she was gone.

XxXxXxX

"How did it go?" Aaron murmured as he looked down at Spencer. He'd given him space, let him talk to the others. He could see that he was processing.

"How did I not notice that Morgan was in love with me?"

Aaron closed his eyes and sighed. He hadn't noticed it himself until after Prentiss had died. That it was the main reason Morgan was so mad. It was morphed from being mad at Spencer to mad at himself. He'd changed his outlook of himself to adapt to being in love with a man and then that man left.

"Because you never thought of him that way. You saw him as a brother, a close friend. He'd also never even hinted that he was anything other than straight. He hid it well, but his anger lasted too long to be anything else. You didn't do anything. You have no blame. He should of stepped up."

"He accused me of not being able to see wrong in anything you do. I called him out telling him I did, I just did the proper thing and raked you over the coals in private. You also apologized. They never once even acted apologetic. I wouldn't be shocked, though, if Rossi tries to soon."

"Prentiss was attracted to me. It's why her focus narrowed to just me. The others listened to her, assuming she was in contact with you. Once I came back and saw it, I had a talk with her. I never said a thing about you. Just that I had no feelings like that for her. I wasn't going to lie, and tell her it was because she was my subordinate. I was still mad at you, but I wasn't going to have it make a liar of me. Morgan though, that slapped me in the face. I knew I had feelings for you, but I wasn't ready to call it love." Aaron had spent a lot of time soul searching after Foyet.

"I didn't realize it until we talked in there. I still haven't processed it. I don't... I don't know what to do about it."

Aaron rolled onto his side so he was facing Spencer. He pulled Spencer's face in close and kissed him. Spencer's entire body relaxed as he did.

"You don't have to do anything. It's his burden for his silence. All you have to do is be happy, and do whatever makes you happy. A nurse hasn't checked on me in a while, so I expect one in soon. JJ has Jack so you can stay. I want you to stay, but only if you want to."

"I do. You have to tell me what you saw, and you are going to do whatever the doctor tells you."

"Which doctor? My actual doctor or Doctor Reid?"

"Both." Spencer looked at him like he was scared. "I'm glad that it wasn't JJ who called, or a nurse. The panic I would have felt." Spencer burrowed close. Aaron could feel tension in his body again. Before he could ask though, Spencer was moving his lips. He could feel them brush the skin of his collar bone, but he couldn't make out the words said.

"What?" Aaron shifted his hand to cup the back of Spencer's head to pull him back so he could actually hear him.

"I love you. That's all I could think about on the way here. It's too soon and it's too much, but I feel it and I wanted you to know."

"I love you, too Spencer." Instead of kissing him, Aaron wrapped his arms around him and just settled like that. Spencer was right, it was too much, and it was too soon, but he felt it as well.

The door opened and a nurse came in. She looked at them and smiled.

"I need to draw blood. But if you just hold out an arm I can do it from this side."

"No, I can sit up for it." Aaron unwrapped himself from Spencer, and the younger man pointed at the bathroom. The nurse handed him his cane and then he was up and gone.

"So that's your partner? Where is your son?"

"One of my team took him back to hers. When I'm released, we'll pick him up."

"That's good. I'll make sure you two aren't disturbed, Agent Hotchner. But you need sleep."

"I'll do just that as soon as Spencer gets back."

Once Spencer was in the bed with him, he turned off the lights and they laid down to sleep. It was the first time ever he'd had someone in a hospital bed with him, but he found he liked it. He was sure he'd have a nightmare or two, and having Spencer there would help calm him. He wanted this part for the rest of his life, having someone there to help.


	19. April 2015

Spencer leaned against the counter, looking out one of the kitchen windows. The sun wasn't up yet, but he was. Aaron was still asleep in bed. It was Spring Break for the school, and Spencer had made sure he had no work to even think about during it. In the aftermath of Peter Lewis, Aaron found himself worked into a panic the one night he'd gone home with Jack to sleep after a few days of staying at Spencer's, even with him in the guest room. So after a two a.m. rush to DC to calm down Aaron, Spencer had just had them stay at his house for a while. But Aaron and Jack hadn't gone back home other than to get clothes.

Instead, Spencer had just cleaned out his closet some and bought a second dresser. Aaron had come back from a case to find the house rearranged a little. When he'd gone up, and unpacked his go bag, he'd found more room for all of his things, as well as, what clothes he had been leaving there were not where he'd left them. Spencer had left it up to him to whether he was going to fully move in, but it was crazy to have him living out of his go bag. So at dinner that night, Aaron had brought it up to Jack. The boy had been all for it. Jack had been moved in that weekend while Aaron's things had taken longer. It was Wednesday and they had both spent Monday and Tuesday cleaning out the apartment. There wasn't any furniture that Aaron was attached to in his apartment, most of it had been bought in a rush when he'd leased the place. The only thing brought was Aaron's desk, and that had been moved into the office at the back of the house.

It had been seamless and easy. Moving an adult and child into his house shouldn't have been as easy to adapt to as it was, but he was used to Jack being there after school more and more. The boy adored coming to his house, even if it was just to go down and play. For the time being, Jack was taking over what had been Henry's room. The bunkbed was staying, and a different dresser had been bought that had a side for Jack's things, and a side for Henry's. The boys were enjoying it so far. Since they had moved Aaron in, they moved the boys' bedroom to the basement as well. Will and a few guys from his station had come and helped do that. Spencer wasn't able to help move much at all, and Aaron didn't let him help move anything more than what he could carry one handed. The basement had been full of odds and ends of his. Decorations and whatnot. A new storage building had been put up in the backyard. He'd come home from the school with Jack the week before and found it there. Aaron had done well at picking one out that Spencer liked. All of his things had been moved into it and then this week they'd moved the boys down.

Aaron had also overseen the alarm being installed just after the incident with Peter Lewis. Jessica had her own keys so that she could get in if needed. They had discussed buying a different place, but Spencer liked his house, and it had been hard to find a nice sized place that was all one floor. So Aaron had dropped the discussion quick.

"What are you doing awake?" Aaron asked as he wrapped an arm around Spencer's waist, pulling him back into his chest.

"Couldn't sleep anymore. I wasn't allowed to wear myself out yesterday, like you, remember." Spencer smiled though as Aaron settled in at his back. While they had been sleeping in the same bed, sex hadn't entered into the equation yet. Spencer wasn't sure what he thought about not having sex. It was all he'd had before. Never getting into a full relationship with anyone. He hadn't wanted one until he'd met Aaron. The older man pulled him a little closer and Spencer could feel his erection. They weren't shy about them, taking care of whatever erections they got on their own. They hadn't discussed sex again, not since before moving in together. He just hadn't wanted to change what they had, but the thought of it now was very arousing. "But maybe you can wear me out another way."

The sharp intake of breath told Spencer that Aaron knew exactly what he was talking about. The arm wrapped around him moved up, sliding up his body until his hand was at the base of his throat. The other hand moved from where he hadn't even realized it was on his hip to slide tantalizingly close to his crotch. He pressed his hips forward then pushed back, rubbing himself on Aaron.

"I want you," Aaron whispered, voice rough with arousal. His hand didn't move to Spencer's cock though, at least not at first. It slipped underneath the thin t-shirt he always wore to bed. At the first touch of fingers on his stomach, he sucked in a breath. That touch had his skin tingling like an arc of electricity flared over his skin. He unwrapped his fingers from his cup of coffee, and set it down on the counter, flipping the switch on the pot to turn it off. He turned in Aaron's hold and looked him in the eye. There was no question to how much Aaron wanted him. Aaron grabbed the hem of Spencer's shirt and slowly pulled it up and then off of him.

Instead of moving to pull Aaron's shirt off, Spencer slipped his hands underneath it and traced his sides and his back. He leaned in and kissed Aaron. Aaron though only let him have a few seconds of control with the kiss before he turned the tables. He was pushed back into the counter, trapped between Aaron and the unforgiving wood. His cane clattered to the floor, but he didn't care. He could make it to the bedroom without it. He knew that Aaron would be upset if he did, but the man was frustrating on what he was allowed to do. It was a byproduct of what had happened that had him fleeing from the team, and he knew he just had to give him time.

"Up," Aaron said as his hands trailed down to Spencer's hips.

"What?" Spencer dove back in after speaking. He tried his hardest to count Aaron's teeth with his tongue, and the man didn't try and stop him. Instead he just tightened his hold on Spencer's hips and lifted.

Spencer cried out, and wrapped his arms around Aaron's neck as he was lifted slightly. He wrapped his legs around Aaron, and was rewarded with hands sliding back to cup his ass cheeks. Spencer's strength was in his upper body, having been on crutches, and then a cane for so long, he'd worked his upper body to make sure that his leg wasn't a hindrance. He couldn't run, and walking without the cane was hard, but he could do it. Aaron, though, was pure strength. He stayed as fit as he could. Using the academy's gym to stay in shape even when he wasn't running in a marathon. It also hadn't taken him long to get a route for running in Dumfries figured out. The small town hadn't taken long to figure out that he was staying. Spencer held on as Aaron started walking backwards towards the bedroom.

Back against the wall outside of the bedroom, Spencer tried to pull out of the kiss. He wanted what was happening next. Foreplay was all well and good, but it had been a while for him. Aaron, though, had him pressed into the wall well enough to where he was able to use one of his hands to hold Spencer's head exactly where he wanted it. Aaron wasn't letting him go. He tried to fight it, but he was well and truly trapped.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Spencer gave in. He stopped fighting what Aaron was doing and enjoyed what was happening. He pulled the t-shirt from where it was trapped by his legs wrapped around his waist and then started to touch. His fingers found the scars on Aaron's chest. He'd seen them from time to time over the past month, but he'd never touched. Aaron didn't try and stop him or jerk away so he kept touching.

Aaron pulled them up and started to move towards the bed again. Instead of dropping him to the bed though, Aaron sat down on the foot of the bed, holding Spencer in his lap.

"What do I need to do to not hurt you?" Aaron asked, cupping Spencer's face to keep their eyes locked. His other hand touched his knee where it was behind the older man.

"I can't do hands and knees. Nothing that means putting weight and supporting myself on that leg. Other than that, I don't know. I've not...done this since I was better. Hands jobs, yes, but penetrative sex, I've not had that since I was on the team."

"We don't have to do that, Spencer. We can do whatever you are comfortable with."

"I want it. I want to feel you in me. I want to see you moving above me. I just, I don't know what is going to hurt and what isn't. We can take it slow." Spencer pushed against Aaron's hands and kissed him. Aaron wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him in tight. He braced for something, and was rewarded with Aaron moving them to where he was on his back. Aaron thrust their cocks together and Spencer moaned.

"Do you have what we need?" Aaron whispered in his ear before nipping at it.

"Yes. Drawer," Spencer said as he waved his hand dismissively at the nightstand on his side of the bed. Aaron leaned up and pulled the drawer open. He pulled out lube and a condom. "I wasn't sure what you wanted, and I figured it was better to have them than to not have them and not have sex."

"Always prepared. If I didn't know better I'd say you were a boy scout." Aaron leaned up and pulled his shirt off before scooting back, and taking Spencer's sleep pants with him. He threw them off the side of the bed before working his own pants off as well. Aaron was naked and when Spencer tried to sit up to pull him close, Aaron pushed him back down. "Stay."

Spencer pouted at him as he reached out, grabbing the retreating arm and pulling him in. Aaron came willingly, but only so far. He grabbed Spencer's hands and pressed them down into the bed as he licked at Spencer's neck. Spencer pulled his legs up to bracket Aaron's body. He put his weight onto his good leg and thrust up.

"I said stay."

"You didn't say that I had to stay still and I did stay. My back is in the same place that is was before."

"Cheeky." Aaron released his hands and sat up, he coaxed Spencer up with him. Aaron smiled at him and sat back on his knees, looking Spencer up and down. Spencer knew that he looked a lot different than he had the last time that Aaron had seen him shirtless. He watched the other man's eyes as he looked at him. He was totally on display and dark eyes moved from the top of his head to his hard cock. He blushed and looked away, not able to take the look of lust on Aaron's face. He focused on Aaron's nightstand. The proof every single time that he entered the room that Aaron was there with him.

Aaron moved, but Spencer didn't look. Instead, he closed his eyes. He felt the man spread his legs a little more before he felt something press at his hole. That made him jerk his eyes open, and he looked down in time to see Aaron take his cock in his mouth. The older man's eyes were dancing with amusement as his tongue laved at the underside of his cock. He couldn't look away. Spencer watched every single movement of Aaron's head as he bobbed up and down, trying his hardest to make him come. He felt a finger slip inside of him, not even realizing that Aaron had lubed up his fingers. He never needed much stretching, but damn being played with always felt good.

"Please. Fuck. Aaron," Spencer babbled as he felt his prostate being brushed. He forgot himself for a few seconds and tried to thrust down on the fingers inside of him, but the twinge of his knee reminded him why it was a bad idea. He tried to stop his knee from giving out on him, but he couldn't. Pain shot through his leg and he couldn't help but gasp out loud. Aaron pulled his fingers from him and was up with his clean hand on his face, making him look at him. Spencer breathed through the pain. He looked at Aaron and smiled. His soon to be lover smiled back at him. "Well, that's something I can't do. I'm fine, I just need to not do that again."

"I didn't hurt you?" Aaron looked worried.

"No, no. I put too much pressure on my knee. No, you were making me feel good. I promise." Spencer pulled him down into a kiss. The sun was starting to peak on the horizon, Spencer could see through the window at Aaron's back. "Please."

"Relax." Aaron smiled at him and moved closer, his knees starting to slid under his ass. Then Hotch was lifting him up by his waist. He tried to sit up, but Aaron pulled him forward and his back fell onto the bed. The other man's legs under him spread apart on the bed and he felt a hand slide back and down to his ass. He was laying in Aaron's lap and by the look of it was about to be fucked in that position. "Ready?"

"Aaron?" Spencer questioned, but then he felt the head of Aaron's cock at his entrance. The only way for him to get leverage was to use his legs and push, but he couldn't because of his bad one, he was at Aaron's mercy. The thought of that had his breath hitching, and then he was being breached. He gripped the bedsheets under his hands as Aaron moved into him, seating Spencer fully on his cock. He'd never had sex in this position, with a man or a woman. The pure power that Aaron was showing with his legs and his arms had Spencer already so close to the edge. Aaron wasn't thrusting in and out of him, he was rocking, his cock dragging across his prostate on nearly ever single thrust. His knee wasn't feeling any pain at all. He was basically laying in Aaron's lap and getting fucked.

"Feeling good for you?" Aaron asked.

Spencer could only nod, if he opened his mouth he was going to beg and he didn't want to. He wanted this right here for however long he and Aaron could do it. No slower, no faster, just this. "Right like this."

"I intend to. The little pant that you let out, every time I thrust just that little harder. I'm going to hear that every single time I think about you." Aaron pulled him in harder for just a single thrust before going back to his rocking. "Seeing you like this, face full of pleasure is going to haunt me every single case."

"Aaron," Spencer begged. He moved his hand to take a hold of his cock, but Aaron lifted him up just a little more and he couldn't. He splayed his arms more to support his head and neck. Aaron smiled down at him, wickedly. He only sped up his rocking slightly. Spencer felt himself moving ever closer to coming. He didn't hold back, letting himself tip over that edge. His entire body stiffened, and his head tipped back to where he couldn't see Aaron anymore. He felt his release landing on himself and Aaron still rocking in him, but it was faster now. The other man stilled after a few more rocks and the way that his hands curled and dragged on his back told Spencer that he was coming as well. He was silent though. Spencer forced his head down and saw that Aaron's eyes were closed and his mouth open in shock. The only thing that Spencer can think of is that he hadn't meant to orgasm.

Gently, Aaron pulled out of him before helping him to lay flat on the bed. But the older man didn't move away, he just sat there between Spencer's spread legs. His hands went right for Spencer's bad knee and reverently touched the still visible scar. He leaned over and kissed it before slowly moving up Spencer's body, finding every little scar that he had on his body and kissing them. Most were from childhood and were faded, but just visible. The brush of lips on skin settled Spencer farther down into contentment. His eyes closed as he enjoyed the sensations.

Kisses pressed to his closed eyelids had Spencer smiling. This felt good. It felt perfect.

"Stay here. I'm going to clean up and then bring in something to clean you up." Aaron whispered in his ear before moving away.

"Hurry," Spencer called out as he settled down even more. The only thing that he would need was a sheet over him and he'd be asleep. He rolled onto his side, keeping his bad knee on the bed and kind of sheltering with his good one. He heard the curtains being pulled in the room but didn't open his eyes. The bed dipped and Spencer turned his head. When he opened his eyes, he found that Aaron had shut the curtains all the way. The only light was from the bathroom. He reached out for the rag but Aaron kept it away from him.

"Just relax. Today is about you. You take care of me and Jack and it's time for me to repay that."

Spencer let Aaron take care of him. He was gentle and when he was done he got up off the bed again. He came back a few minutes later and wrapped himself around Spencer. Spencer wasn't sure what he thought about just letting Aaron take care of him. He wasn't used to that. He took care of himself, but Aaron had shown trust in the aftermath of Peter Lewis.

"What are you thinking about?" Aaron asked, his voice soft and low. Spencer reached back and grabbed the hand that had settled on his hip, pulling it up and kissing the palm of it. He smiled. He thought that he should feel wrong about giving into Aaron, but he wasn't. Aaron would catch him if he fell. Aaron had his love, but he hadn't realized when he'd given him all of his trust. He hadn't realized that.

"You wormed your way back in. I love you, but I wasn't going to give in totally, not yet, but you,,. I want it. I want you to take care of me." Spencer snuggled back into Aaron's arms as the older man covered them with a blanket.

"And you want to take care of me. That's what it feels like when it's right. It's a give and take, and you've never had that before in any relationship. It's a good thing. I can see you are a little worried."

"I don't. I never felt like this before. I don't rely on people. When you were on your last case, I wrenched my knee at the school, and my first thought was that I wished you were home so you could rub it like you do when we watch movies. It scared me."

"But you didn't run. You processed. Probably overanalyzed. You stayed. While I'm a little upset you didn't talk to me about it as soon as it became an issue, you are talking now." Aaron kissed at the back of Spencer's neck.

"I did process, and I wasn't going to bring it up until I knew my own mind. And I do now. It doesn't scare me anymore. I know you want me. I know you need me, and I want and need you too." Spencer rolled onto his back and nuzzled up into face. "You and Jack moved into my life, and it was like there were always Aaron and Jack shaped holes that I never knew were there. And I don't want to change it."

"One day, I'm going to ask you to marry me." Aaron's fingers traced his ring finger. "When we are both ready, but that's what this is for me, Spencer. I know that this part has been slow in going, but I didn't move in with my eyes closed. I knew that you'd adapt and change. You do better when confronted with things, and then allowed to process, but I've also learned that if you are left to your own, you'll choose not to change. I wasn't expecting you to just move us in when my nightmares bothered me."

"It didn't make sense to not have you here. I wanted you here. You wanted to be here. Why not just have you stay? Then you wouldn't have to keep up a pretense of going back to the apartment. It's been nice not being alone. Even when you are away on a case, I have Jack here." Spencer was finding that Jack was wonderful to have around. Will was liking it as it also meant that Henry wanted to spend even more time with Spencer. Which was also probably why JJ was pregnant. Between her and Callahan that was four children born that Spencer was getting to spend time with. Callahan had taken a year after the birth of her first born child, and she'd been back from it for a little over a year. Now JJ was pregnant with a second child. She had already talked to him about being the new baby's godfather as well. Callahan was going to be asked to be the godmother. Garcia had been discussed, but there was something that had been stopping JJ and Will from agreeing on her again. Will had become good friends with Callahan's husband and they both hung out on occasion.

"I know you like talking to Lewis. Dave has stated to me that he'd like to start over with you. Morgan and Garcia pretend you don't exist. Morgan asked Savannah to marry him. They have been living together for a few months. All I can say is one day that you have off, and I am working you can bring in lunch and we shall see how they do." Aaron's breathing started to even out and Spencer knew he was falling asleep. "Maybe we can all three wearing those matching ties that Jessica bought us."

As much as walking away had hurt before, he wouldn't be able to do it now. He wouldn't be able to not have Aaron and Jack in his life now. Closing his eyes, Spencer allowed himself to drift off. Happy and content for the first time in a long while.  
**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading!


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